Glass Heart
by roraewrites
Summary: "And he was in the darkness, so darkness he became." [SasuSaku AU]
1. Discontent

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Hey guys! Just me with a new story :) I'm giving a little warning for people who are just starting out with reading this, and I would like to let you guys know that this will be a darker story. So there's your **warning** : this will get darker as it progresses. This story also takes place after Sakura defeats Sasori, so something to consider while reading this is that she is still developing as a kunoichi and growing stronger in her own way - whether it be physically or mentally, she's still growing as a person. Same with Sasuke! _

_Anyways, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!_

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart**_  
 _Discontent_

* * *

Vision hazy, hair rising on the nape of her neck, the scent of blood looming around her; everything is vividly unclear as to where she's at and what she's doing here. Her eyes can't adjust to the dim light, be it provided by a flickering flame, she can't adjust enough to see exactly where she's at.

The numb sensation in her head is overpowering, causing her weight to adjust while the tips of her toes remain brushing the cold slate of the floor. Beneath her, the floor is damp. A water leak, or sweat that drips from her body, possibly?

No.

It makes sense now: the scent of blood, her head throbbing, the wet trickles that line the tips of her toes.

She moves her head to the point that she's looking down over the tips of her breasts, trying to make out the dark figures that loom in the shadow of her body. She feels the slow drip ooze from her head, running through her hair and trickling down her face.

"Damn it," the curse slides through her teeth. Her voice is shaky, trembling, tired.

She closes her eyelids over evergreen eyes, blinking the tears that hid in the corners of her eyes away. Sakura hadn't noticed it before, but her arms were aching, almost a stinging feeling that formed in her triceps, surging out to her shoulders, and finally her neck. When she looked up, the light bulb in her head finally went off.

She was suspended from the ceiling, chains and shackles encircling her wrists, her body left barely hovering above the ground. If she reached with her toes, extending her legs, she should be able to get the balls of her feet on the floor. She _could_ if she really tried, but her body ached, her arms throbbing, her head pulsating.

What exactly had happened?

"What do you mean you brought her here?"

That voice.

Memories of a lost past came whirling back, ridding her lungs of air, like another blow to the stomach, she had felt the need to vomit. She felt her world turning upside down, her walls around her heart begin to shatter, crumble under the weight that pushed against her chest. Sakura felt the sour feeling at the base of her throat, the stinging from the tears that threatened to fall. No, it wasn't that, it was-

She let the vomit project from her throat and finally splash against the stone tiles beneath her. The taste lingered in her mouth along with the sour and bitterness that pulsed through her blood.

She didn't want to be here.

She knew where she was at now; pain struck her heart the second she heard that all too familiar voice. Deep and inviting, hypnotizing and enticing; the voice of Sasuke Uchiha.

When her jade green eyes finally looked back up, the flicking of the torch nearby was running rapid, finally the breeze catching hold of her cherry blossom tresses and blowing them across face. Small pieces of short, choppy hair stuck to the blood and saliva around her lips, while the rest fell, losing the fight against gravity itself.

Sakura couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. She was losing far too much blood and she felt the inside of her body begin to grow cold, matching how she felt on the outside. Her eyelids slip over apple green orbs once more, before she finally kept them shut and pressed her lips into a firm line. She resorted to listening to the sounds around her, honing in on the footsteps overhead, the low, drawn out screams of nearby prisoners, probably down the hall.

"Fuck all of this," she whispered to herself, finally letting a single tear escape from behind closed eyelids.

Sakura fought to open her eyes, only one more time. She knew she was going to die, she just didn't know when. Her eyes felt hot, sticky, dry, everything but the comfortable feeling she was use to. She flexed her muscles, trying to pull her feet up and above her head, but she couldn't. Couldn't will her body to listen to her, let alone build up enough chakra to break through these shackles.

When another rush of wind blew through the cell, the small room, the torch finally went out, leaving Sakura to her thoughts, her body out in the open for the shadows to begin to consume her. She clenched her teeth tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as well. It was lighter than the pitch black room that her body hung from.

Finally, he creaking door from around the corner opened, willing Sakura's nerves to be on edge, her heart pounding loudly in her chest, the her rushing blood cancelling out all noises within her own mind. She inhaled deeply before swallowing whatever courage she mustered up.

 _Open them_ , she tells herself, _open your eyes you coward._

And when she did, he stood there, red eyes bearing into hers, tearing her soul from her body, shattering her heart, and leaving her entire body numb and motionless. She feels the lump in her throat emerge from the damp, flesh walls. She can't hide the soft expression on her face, not from the eyes that the Uchiha possess.

He didn't move, only stared at her with vivid, blood hungry eyes.

"Sasuke..." his name fell from her chapped lips naturally, echoing through the enclosed space, bouncing off each stone slate that made this room as a whole.

He still did not move, only blinked once, and when he finally opened his perfectly maroon orbs, she could see the black specs from within begin to circle the round of his eye; familiarity filling her body as a whole, she's seen this before.

Another moment passed, and she could no longer see a thing. He was gone, away from her body, out of her cell, and she exhaled the breath she had been holding the entire time he stood before her. Her throat still constricted as if he were still here, leaving her with that sour and sick feeling in her throat once more.

Sakura's mind began to run through thoughts, scenarios that should've gone down, but didn't. She thought about how she should be dead, dead from the blood loss. Dead because of Sasuke's hand, but she wasn't. She hung from her arms, barely balancing her toes against the cool tiling of the floor. She knew she wouldn't be leaving this place anytime soon.

It'd take Anbu days, weeks to find this hideout of Orochimaru's, and Sakura knew that in that amount of time, she would gone and transported to somewhere new, for she was a hostage and only when they eliminated Tsunade, would she be free.

Or not.

"Damn him," the echo sounded through the small space and Sakura had cursed to herself once more for not paying closer attention. Another body had entered the room that she resided in, and they had gone completely unnoticed.

When the torch had been lit once more, her eyes began to adjust to the dim light again. She knew the owner of that voice, and even thinking of his name made her own skin crawl, her stomach curl with disgust.

"Kabuto," she snarls as he perches his body in front of her; a smug look lining his face beneath glass lenses.

Sakura wills her legs up, kicking out before her, but skims the tip of his shirt. Her body comes swinging back and the silver hair medic only chuckles, his dark eyes mocking her.

"I was going to let you down, but if you're going to behave like a heathen, then forget it."

His words did not echo off the walls like hers did, but only filled the room with a monotone voice, laced with sarcastic intentions. Sakura closed her evergreen eyes once more and bit down on her lip, tasting the bile and dried blood that was removed when her tongue slid over the scaly skin.

"We'll try this again tomorrow. Sleep well, Sakura."

She was left alone once more, her thoughts eating away at her and her body trembling from the amount of pain that she felt. She felt light headed, numb, aching to get down from these shackles, and most importantly, gone from this dungeon.

She was a kunoichi of Konoha; strong, smart, beautiful and level headed. She would escape, whether it be from sheer destruction, or sliding out unnoticed. She, Sakura Haruno, was not to be take lightly, and she would shed her knowledge upon her captors soon enough.


	2. Anticipation

_**Disclaimer**_ _: I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart  
** Anticipation_

* * *

The cool cloth against her skin refreshes her body, her soul, resets her mind and rids the negative thoughts.

Her lips are still chapped, sore from scabs that she chews at on her bottom lip, but she's no longer shacked, hanging from the ceiling. Instead, she's put in her own cell behind closed bars. Sakura finds that staying here is getting old, and while she knows she can break out at any given time, she wouldn't make it far with _him_ still wandering the halls.

Especially at night.

She senses him wandering, his soul lost to the darkness, trying to find it but he can't.

It's during the latest hours at night when she senses him nearby, his dark aura sending shivers down her spine, making her fingers tremble. Sakura fears that he'll come to her in the dark again, his ominous blood red eyes staring right through her and to the soul of her very body.

As Sakura runs the cloth down the side of her face, she presses it to her temple, letting her pores soak the soothing liquid within her skin. The air in this chamber is musty, smells of death and rotting flesh. The breeze that brushes across the ground is also cool and when it's late at night, brings shivers to Sakura's sleeping form.

She knew that Kabuto would be coming soon, to deliver the small ration of food that they allowed her to eat. Every time he stopped by, she grew quiet, refused to answer his jabbing insults or interrogative sentences. He was like the spec of dirt that gets caught under a finger nail, or a piece of meat that gets stuck between teeth; annoying and unnecessary.

On queue, she can hear his sandals smack against the stone tiles as he makes his way towards her. Sakura puts the cloth down, hiding it from his view. She had ripped part of her shirt off, forming it into a make shift cloth to clean her wounds and her face from any dirt, blood, bile, or whatever else she had on her face and body.

"Good morning, Sakura."

His greeting is anything but kind, his voice monotone as he tilts his chin down and peers at her over the frames of his glasses. The dark eyes that look at her hold a menacing look, threatening her in every way possible, but Sakura shoulders the look and continues to stare at him with crossed arms.

He places the small plate by the bars, kicking it through the tight space, but only to have it clatter against the iron and topple over.

Her food for the day now spoiled, but she doesn't mind. Sakura has lost her appetite due to the high stress levels in her mind, the anxiety furrowing in her body, the very core of her a nervous wreck.

The next item that Kabuto places against the dirty ground is a small cup of water, enough to last her a day if she uses it responsibly. He doesn't move from his spot though, only stares at Sakura with clouded eyes and a makeshift smile.

Sakura's emerald green eyes fall to the cup on the ground, sitting patiently as it awaits her to approach and pick it up; that's what she does. She tries to rid Kabuto's appearance, his presence, by blanking him out and forgetting him one hundred percent. As she reaches for the tin cup, it's too late. Kabuto's hand reaches through the bars and grasps her shirt, pulling her and smacking her chest and knees roughly against the iron.

"I said good morning."

Sakura can feel her nostrils flaring, her heart thudding against her chest and all she can do is narrow her evergreen eyes at him. The angrier she looks, the closer Kabuto inches to her face, until their noses are only centimeters apart.

She can smell iron wafting off of his skin, probably from the experiments that him and Orochimaru work on while she stays put in her cell, counting the seconds, minutes, days that she's been here.

"Fuck off," she spits out, along with the saliva that catapults from her throat and sails through the air and onto his cheek. He throws her back abruptly and pushes away from the bars, wiping at his face furiously.

Sakura, falling to her rear and rolling into a defensive stance, stares at him like a crazed animal, a tiger being closed bars. Her eyes glowing in the light that entered her cell and narrowing in on Kabuto once more.

"You're _so_ going to regret that!" His yell rips through the cell, echoing off the walls and sounding through the corridor. His dark eyes are even more clouded now, glossed over from the demon inside him, hungry for her blood. But once their staring match is over, he exits the room on his heel, turning to glance at Sakura from over his shoulder.

She smirks, another victory and aimless threat from the white haired medic. To add to her victory, her cup of water still stood its ground in between iron bars. Sakura's lips turned to a smile, cracking the dried skin and scabs and the instant taste of copper entered her mouth.

After one quick sip, Sakura sighed a low, short sigh. She could feel her days growing shorter, her life here on Earth would soon end. She needed to escape, find a way out or to send a message, but down here, she was powerless, useless almost like back in her genin days.

"Naruto... Sasuke..." The words came out a small whisper, barely audible. She then walked back to the corner of her cell, placing the tin cup on the floor and resting her back against the wall as she thought back to her previous days.

Those days filled with warmth, laughter and fun. The bittersweet memories brought Sakura to a sitting stance, her knees curling up to her chest and her arms hugging them tighter, willing herself to curl up into a ball.

She had to escape, somehow, someway.

She would escape.

 **. . .**

His eyes searched the room, following the thin lines that outlined the stones that formed the walls. He knew every turn, every degree that each line took because this had been his room for three years.

Sleepless nights brought his eyes to wander the textured walls of his room, but even when he grew bored of that, he strolled the halls, hoping his mind would settle.

It never did, though.

Memories of Itachi, his clan members lying face first against the ground, bleeding out. The memory that haunted him the most were the bodies of his parents lying lifelessly in front of his traitor of a brother. The vision always made his throat tight, cutting the air off from his lungs.

But he refused to be weak, let his mind get lost in an important time like this. Anything was better than letting his thoughts think back to Sakura, though.

Sasuke hated that she was here, but he knew exactly why Kabuto brought her here and that fed his desire to kill the bastard even more. He hated that ridiculous guy; cocky smile, disgusting eyes, ridiculous voice.

Fucking hated him.

Especially when Sasuke knew that Kabuto was near Sakura, whispering words of hate and blatantly doing stuff to further her misery. He could tell that Sakura was near death when they first brought her here, even after three days of being here, her chakra was still a small flame; a faint wisp that could barely feed off the air that she was supplied.

Sasuke knew he shouldn't have went to see her the first night they brought her here, but curiosity killed the cat and sure as shit, he was perched in front of her beaten and dying body.

She reeked of sweat and blood, the poor girl couldn't even keep the vomit down in her body as soon she woke up. Sasuke knew that it wasn't fair to bring her here, especially when she wasn't involved with any plans that Orochimaru or Kabuto had, but a hostage is a hostage, and he knew that his mentor was up to something. He couldn't get over how grown up she looked, how matured her face was. Through the dirt and blood, he noticed her cheeks weren't as round, her jawline was stunning; eyes that looked into his shimmered a darker green than when she was younger. Cherry blossom hair framed her face, bringing out her neck, and when he looked to her body, he noticed that she had filled out more.

When he closed his eyes, he felt his Sharingan activate upon opening again, engraving the memory of how she looked now, compared to when she was young.

Sasuke hadn't realized that he was now standing in front of Sakura's cell, looking down on her sleeping form while she was curled around herself, huddled up in the corner. She looked miserable, her bruised arms, cut legs, rose quartz hair matted in dried crimson chunks, yet her face looked peaceful while she slept.

The Uchiha felt his heart lurch forward, the need to protect growing strong but he simply scoffed. A smirk graced his lips as he began to walk away from the sleeping girl; he's done this before, three years ago to be exact.

"She spit in my fucking face."

Sasuke could hear the bitching of Kabuto all the way through the hall, another smirk pulling at his lips. He had heard that Sakura had grown into a fighter, a kunoichi of excellent skill, possessing super human strength. But to spit in Kabuto's face, he found it humerus.

"Orochimaru," Sasuke entered the man's quarters, looking from the snake sannin to Kabuto, the Uchiha's emotionless face showing nothing of sorts now.

"Ah, Sasuke, my dear child."

Sasuke simply ignored Orochimaru's last three words, knowing that he wasn't the snake's 'dear child'.

"Why is she here?" He finally asked the question that he'd been waiting to ask the entire time that Sakura had been here. Her presence only made him eager, knowing all too well that she would get in the way of his plans when it came time.

"Why do you ask?"

"She's useless," the lie fell from his lips. She was anything but useless anymore.

Kabuto spoke up now, his dark eyes narrowing into Sasuke obsidian eyes. "That's what you think."

Sasuke refused to give the medic-nin the time of day, ignoring his statement entirely and continued to wait for Orochimaru's reply. Instead, the snake sannin only hissed, obviously annoyed with Kabuto as well.

"You'll see soon enough. Now go, you've got training to do."

He felt his temper rising, curse mark hot against his skin, but he did as told and exited the room. His walk was short lived as he entered the training room, the dummies looking at him with straight faces and all Sasuke could do was brood. He inhaled deeply before concentrating his chakra.

He was sick of being here, sick of taking orders from a man that would be dead soon.

His hand began to heat up, the chirping of birds filled the room and before another target could give him that blank stare, he slammed his fist to the ground. Each target exploded from his Chidori Stream, tufts of hay and wood flying in every direction, leaving the room in a thick sheet of dust and fog.

Sasuke could only clench his teeth, feel the anger sore through his body and boil in his blood.

The time to kill his mentor and Kabuto was coming soon enough, but with Sakura in the hideout now, he would need to reevaluate his plan and see to it that she leaves with him as well.

"She's so annoying," his low voice fills the empty, dirty room as he collapses to his knees and falls to his side. "So damn annoying."

Emotions burst through the floodgates, filling his mind with whole thoughts of his days in Konoha, driving him to the brink of going insane inside his own mind. He can't shake the thoughts no matter how hard he tries, even the demon within him is quiet, feeding on Sasuke's earlier days.

 _Darkness is your only salvation,_ he tells himself repeatedly. As much as he wants to forget, cut the ties and break the bonds, they're still there, haunting his memories.

 **. . .**

Sakura awakes the next day (or was it the same day as before?), her neck aching from lying against the stones and dirt and her back needing a serious rub down. She feels her body flowing with chakra and the sensation is weird at first, but she feels more alive than she had when she first arrived.

She closes her dirty hand around the tin cup and takes a small sip, letting the water run down her tongue, her throat, feeling the cool liquid enter her stomach and quench part of her thirst. The liquid burns against her chapped lips as she drags her dry tongue across them, lapping up and excess water that perched on her lower lip.

When she pushed her body back into a sitting position, she could hear the sandals of Kabuto entering the room, slow but surely, she knew it was him. Her evergreen eyes already narrowing, lips pulling into a firm line. When their eyes made contact, she felt her throat dry out and tighten. The only sound that could be heard was the blood rushing through her ears and the pounding of her heart against her chest.

His eyes are beautiful, as dark as spilled ink, his face emotionless.

Sakura gulped, her eyebrows raising towards the center, her lips parting. When she felt his wandering eyes slip down her neck, past her chest and rest on her torn shirt, she could've sworn that she saw fire blaze from behind black irises. He didn't move his face an inch, but she could tell that he disapproved of something.

"Sakura."

She jumps at her name, shivers crawling through her skin when he rolls the 'a' of her name off his tongue. Sakura finds herself pushing up from the stone, her mind lost in a jumble of thoughts and her fingers shaking. Once she's standing and facing him from behind bars, he flips his hair from his eyes and inches closer towards her.

His face hadn't changed much from when he was younger, but he was taller now, muscles fine tuning his body. She couldn't help but drop her eyes to his chest, his pectorals hanging out from the slit in his long sleeve shirt, washboard abs visible as ever. He was clothed in far different clothes than before, she noticed. She also noticed his hand resting on the hilt of a sword that was attached to the rope that wound around his waist.

All thoughts aside, she found the will to speak.

"Why am I here?"

He raises a thin brow in reply, the skin on his outer cheek rising with the action. The pain that burdened her long ago, the fight to gather his attention, she felt it all coming back now, gathering in her stomach and working its way up her sternum, gathering in her chest where her heart lies.

He still hadn't answered her question, only slouches a bit and adjusts his hand further down the hilt of the sword. Sasuke's obsidian eyes had grown darker since the last time she looked into them, shadows dancing within the pupil. When he finally turns his face, Sakura jumps closer towards the iron cage before her fingers curl around the cool bars, her face peering through them.

"Wait!" The word echoes, stopping Sasuke in his tracks, yet he doesn't say a word. He doesn't move either, only waits to hear what she has to say next, but she doesn't speak, only grips the cold bars harder, squeezing them in her grasp.

"Be ready."

She frowns, knowing all too well that he wants her to know something, but he won't give her information that easily. Something is going to happen, and soon, but she doesn't know what. Only to be ready.

She nods before releasing her grip and steps back gingerly, looking to her dirty toes and skinned knees, blood dappling the dried skin there. Sakura hears him depart from the room, his steps slow and graceful until she can no longer hear him. She slowly crouches down against the wall until she's in a sitting position and grabs her cloth from the corner of the cell, pouring a small amount of water on it and begins to dab her knees softly.

She could heal them up quickly, but now that Sasuke has given her a warning, she knows better than to use her chakra on something useless. She pulls her knees to her chest and rests her forehead against the caps, her emerald eyes closing.

"I need out."

 **. . .**

Sasuke finishes his training, finishes his rounds, only to end back up in his room and driving himself crazy over knowing Sakura is still here. He can't come up with a plan, knowing that she's here and if he leaves without her, she'll be trapped until someone finds her.

Or kills her.

The thought eats away at him, and instead of staying put, he begins walking towards her signature. She's like a magnet and Sasuke like metal, attracted to her in every way, yet he hides the true emotions under the darkness in his heart. It makes him sick knowing she's like a caged animal, but he doesn't dare release her, not yet. Once his plan begins, he'll free her. Leave this place behind and continue with his mission that he has his dark eyes set on.

To kill Itachi and end this torture once and for all. With his brother gone, he can live each day knowing that the weight has been lifted from his shoulders, but the pain of losing everyone he once loved will still burden his heart.

The darkness blankets him as he walks down the corridor once more that day, his legs taking him to Sakura. He can already sense her and knows she awake and moving around. A small smirk pulls at the corner of his lip when he enters the room, only to find her small face behind bars; body curled up against the wall, her blank face staring with dull green eyes.

He can see the rubber band snap behind her eyes, her lips parted slightly, the shock that overtakes her body. The smirk on his lips had already been erased, and they stare at each other for what seems like days, weeks, years, until she's pushing up from the ground.

She looks miserable from the way she walks, her eyes still staring at him until she's still once more. The way she trembles doesn't go unnoticed and when he slouches slightly, he finally speaks.

"Sakura."

The name brings bittersweet memories of their past back; a whirl of nostalgia crashing against his heart, rattling his brain. The way her eyes light up at her name pains him further. He knows he shouldn't be down here, confronting a prisoner, but she's his former teammate. A girl that holds a special place in his twisted heart. Sasuke bites down on the insides of his cheeks, refusing to speak anymore.

These memories are too much for him; pain, heartache, suffering. He wants it all to end.

Blood rushes to his ears, invading his head and catching him off guard. He sees Sakura move closer to the bars that separate them, her lips moving and panic washing over her features. He can't hear a single word that she says though, only slouches and flips the hair from his eyes.

When the wave of reality washes over him, he brings himself to his calm and collected demeanor, moving his body closer to the cell, to her. Her eyes widen.

"Be ready."

A frown pulls her eyebrows together, her eyes now a deep shade of jade. He can't make out ever seeing that expression on her face, not towards him at least. Sakura doesn't say a word though, just nods her head and backs away slightly.

When he turns his body and begins to leave, the pain in his heart appears once more, throbbing. Sasuke finds his body moving slowly at first, until he reaches the corridor and begins to move his legs faster, willing his body to get away from her and her presence.

She's intoxicating, enlightening, everything that he's ever wanted, craved. Sasuke can't think of her, not at a time like this.

 _Stop_ , the demon from within demands, searing his skin, his mind and his soul. Sasuke does as told and stops. Stops thinking, stops moving and it's when his body his still that he picks up on the rather ridiculous cackle. It's Kabuto.

"Seeing your girlfriend, were you?" Kabuto's sneers.

It takes everything to push the instinct to kill him right here and now. His heart says to kill him, his mind, but his body doesn't budge. Sasuke knows better. When he begins to push past him, Kabuto reaches for his shoulder. Sasuke snatches his hand from the air, whirling his face to Kabuto's, their noses nearly touching.

His Sharigan is blazing like a wildfire, electricity coursing through his body and his darkening aura casting through the hall.

"Stay the fuck away from her," his voice is treacherous, the most dangerous he's ever heard himself. Sasuke knows that it's himself talking, but the demon within amplifies it, strengthens his words much like he does his body.

Kabuto can only swallow his pride before ripping his hand from Sasuke's grip. He's no longer laughing or mocking the Uchiha, but his dark eyes show fear as he cowers beneath the Sharigan eyes. He steps back and begins to walk in the opposite direction of Sakura's cell and Sasuke can feel his body tensing up from the stress and pressure.

 _It's time_ , he hears the low voice in his mind, the pulsing in his stomach and clawing at his heart.


	3. Free

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters

 _I would really like to thank everyone who takes the time to read this story. I was super excited to start it, and it's VERY motivating to see nice reviews about wanting me to continue! So for that, I bring another chapter that's action filled. A bit of a heads up: it gets a little gory. Other than that, the wheels are rolling and this story will start to get a bit more exciting. I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review, I'd love to know what you guys think so far. And for those who keep reviewing, THANK YOU! :)_

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart  
** Free_

* * *

That night brought darkness to his heart, his mind. It had been a shade darker than spilled oil, consuming his mind, his thoughts, tainting the soul that he had left.

Sasuke squeezes his eyes shut, tossing and turning in his sheets until he couldn't take it anymore. The sweat that encased his body began to soak through his boxers, making them tighter against his legs. He was uncomfortable, felt trapped not only in his skin, but in his mind and losing everything to the darkness.

 _Do it_ , he hears the voice once more. It's lower, more crude and nasty this time around unlike earlier.

He tossed once more before throwing his fist into the wall, sending spider web cracks through the stones. His knuckles also cracked from the contact, his skin breaking and maroon liquid oozing through the openings. He clenched his fist hard before a snarl ripped through his teeth.

He couldn't take it any longer. He wanted out.

When Sasuke finally threw the sheets off of himself, he dressed in his proper attire, unsheathing his sword and feeling the blade; icy metal with a bite to it. The pain was comforting as he slid the padding of his index down it, enjoying the small cut that ate through his skin.

He sheathed his Kusanagi, sliding it in its firm position between purple rope and slid his long sleeve on over his head. The air that entered through the slit down the center of it felt good against his searing skin. Sasuke was still panting, his mind still wandering; the demon whispering with a wispy voice, telling him things that no one should hear.

The faint candle that had been lit in the corner of his room was running low, the wick nearly burnt out. When he made his way to it, the breeze from his sudden movement made the flame dance rapidly, cutting the light and moving it in unique patterns against the walls.

He touched his index and thumb to his tongue before lowering them to the end of the wick, looking at it with glowing red eyes before adjusting his fingers against the burnt string. Before he could touch it, a voice caught hold of his attention, pulling him from his thoughts and leaving the candle to burn. When he turned on his heel, he swiped the wax from the night stand, sending the candle to floor and watched as liquefied wax spread through stone tiles, the flame riding out on the smooth surface.

His nostrils flared, a toothy smile pulling through dried lips.

It was time.

 **. . .**

Sakura hadn't felt Sasuke's aura that night, she hadn't felt it since earlier that day when he visited her.

His words still coursed through her mind, making her think about what she could do to be ready, other than sit where she's been for the past couple of days. As tired as Sakura had been, she felt the hunger pains begin to eat away at her stomach now, too. Kabuto hadn't been by after Sasuke's visit. She figured it was from the stunt she pulled earlier the previous day, but she didn't care.

She was going to escape soon anyways.

When she pushed her body away from the wall and came to lie on her back, she closed her eyes and let sleep begin to crawl up her body and overtake her mind. Visions of missions with Naruto and Kakashi swept into her thoughts, invading her dreams. A small, gentle smile pulled at her lips, as she began reminiscing the days. It was when the brooding vision of Sasuke entered her dreams that she became upset.

While her and Naruto were younger, dressed in their clothing as genin, Sasuke was as his current self, dressed in Orochimaru's garb. He looked at them with his red Sharingan eyes, a glare casting upon them from his position in the field. A light shadow crossed over his face as the curse mark began to over take his features, marking his porcelain face in spilled ink markings with a molten lava outlining.

He had a sadistic smile painted across his face now, staring into Sakura's emerald eyes while she feels the panic overtake her heart, mind and soul. When she turns to Naruto, he's no longer there. It's only Sakura now as she's face to face with Sasuke. His eyes grow brighter the more his curse overtakes his body and when she tries to scream out for help, nothing comes out.

She's caught in his trap while he makes his way across the field for her, inching closer with each step that he takes until he's running towards her motionless body. Sakura shakes, her heart screaming for help and her mind telling her to move, but once he finally reaches her, she can't feel her body anymore. He consumes her, enveloping her in a deep purple while Sharingan eyes stare at her through the deep violet clouds that engulf her.

Sakura feels warm now, sweat covering her forward and dampening her cherry blossom tresses. As she stands in front of Sasuke's eyes, she can see something soft shimmering within them, almost calling out to her for help. She swallows, inching closer towards the eyes that stare into her own, darkness consuming the figure in front of her.

She reaches a hand out towards him, but before she can touch him, he flinches away, Sharingan eyes melting to obsidian.

And she can see.

The boy he once was before this curse mark consumed his heart, convincing him that power and revenge are the most important things in life.

He stares at her when finally the color comes to his face, he's a genin like her, before he left the village. It's almost like he's real, the way his eyes shimmer, she can even catch the faint scent of a roaring fire as she takes a step near him. Sakura tries to talk, but everything falls silent around them. The heat that begins to well up around her engulfs her body, almost like her skin is on fire.

The dream begins to fade, her vision of Sasuke lighting up with a white light and when she finally gives up trying to stay with him, she hears those same words that have haunted her the past three years.

 _"Thank you, Sakura."_

Evergreen eyes snap open, holding back tears that threaten to escape, but the hot feeling is still consuming her, lapping at her skin. She brings the heel of her hand to her forehead and rids the beads of sweat. When she pushes up from the ground, the blazing sensation overtakes her senses.

Sakura smells smoke now, invading her sinuses and setting every alarm off within her. She presses the back of her hand to the stone wall and feels the temperature rising, her skin burning the longer she holds it there. She then notices the pale smoke wafting through the cell, fogging her vision and making her eyes water from the chemicals.

 _Fire,_ she thinks, her mind panicking now.

Her heart begins to race, her blood in her veins rushing along with the adrenaline that courses through her limbs. The first thing she does it grabs the cloth from the ground, wrapping it around her face and covering her nose; the scent of blood lingers in the small amount of fabric, but it blocks out the overwhelming scent that could make her pass out.

She rushes the iron bars, filling her hand with visible chakra until she makes contact with the cool, smooth surface. It bends at her contact, an ear shattering ringing sounding through the enclosed space. Sakura brings her fist back again, infusing chakra and concentrating before her fist smashes through the iron. It breaks, along with it the skin on her knuckles, hand and forearm.

The burning sensation lingers, but the adrenaline cancels out the feeling once she finally bends the remaining bar in half and squeezes her way through the opening. Once she's on the other side, she can see the fire making it's way down the corridor, engulfing the building with dancing flames; eager and hungry much like Sasuke's eyes from her dream.

Sakura's mind is racing now, her eyes scanning for another door, but she's trapped.

Her only option is to break through the walls with her fists.

She inhales, another strong scent of blood filling her nostrils and coating her sinuses, before finding the best possible place to begin making her way through. When Sakura brings her fist back, she stops at the sudden pulse of air that flies through the corridor, filling her eyes with smoke and nearly knocking her off her feet. It happens once more, sending her body to the back of the room and causes her back to collide with the wall.

The pain courses through her body, entering up through the base of her skull, ringing through her occipital bone and causes her vision to blur. She inhales deeply, trying to fill her lungs with oxygen, but the air is weak, hardly filtered as the smoke continues to bellow in from the corridor.

She feels her conscious slipping but when she tries to move, the stinging sensation travels through her spine, causing more pain than necessary.

"Damn it."

 **. . .**

He sends the white haired man flying, his body crashing through the stone wall. The faint breaths of air could be heard as Sasuke made his way towards him, curse mark spreading along his arms and face, chest included. Once the dust settles and the last bit of rocks fall from the wall, he presents his Sharingan eyes in front of Kabuto; death danced in the pupils of Sasuke's eyes, taunting Kabuto.

When Sasuke's hand came to wrap around the hilt of his Kusanagi, Kabuto inhaled sharply, trying to speak and talk his way out of a fight or the ultimate outcome, death.

"P-please," he sputters out, "spare me. I'm not the one you want, it's Orochimaru!"

Sasuke doesn't answer, only narrows his eyes further.

 _What a fool,_ the voice inside of his hisses. He can feel his skin crawl while the curse mark spreads; electricity coursing through his veins and pumping the excitement through his body. He's hungry for blood, starved of killing; Kabuto would be the first to die, he concluded.

Not because he's a pompous asshole, or that he's a cocky bastard, but because he's Kabuto and he touched Sakura, insulted her and beat her. Sasuke finds a low growl echoing from the base of his throat, rising to his mouth and finally entering the air between them.

He could smell the fear from the pores of Kabuto's skin, feel the trembling of his body from where he stood. With Sasuke's next step, Kabuto flinched down, covering his face with a single hand and hiding the broken frame of his glasses from Sasuke. The small groan that came from him was music to the Uchiha's ears, encouraging him to end this pitiful man's life.

As he inched closed, he unsheathed the metal blade from its home, the hot feeling and singing song familiar to his touch and ears; electricity coating his weapon of destruction as he held the blade to Kabuto's chest.

"You can no longer hurt her," he whispers, reassuring himself that this is why he's doing it, but the voice within him murmurs something that makes the hair on his neck stand, consuming him whole.

 _She's going to die either way._

The tomoes in his blood red eyes begin to spin as his body tenses up. Before he can plunge the sword through Kabuto's chest, the medic infuses chakra to his hands and takes a swipe with his chakra scalpel towards Sasuke's knees. The Uchiha moves with his tremendous speed, avoiding the attack and side stepping Kabuto. Once Kabuto sees his opening, he's frantically pushing from the wall and running for his life through the corridor.

Sasuke smirks; a game of chase it is.

He summons a shadow clone before taking off after the medic, already tracking the movements of Kabuto and knowing exactly where he's going. Before he can reach the end of the hall, Sasuke's clone is perched at the end, his sword in hand, glowing with a blue and white light while it chirps a dangerous song.

Kabuto stops, backing away from the figure before seeing that Sasuke has him trapped; a rat trapped and near death, Sasuke finds it all amusing.

When he notices that the snake sannin's apprentice begins to form his chakra scalpels once more and charge his clone, Sasuke is already weaving the signs for the Uchiha's famous fireball jutsu, his clone mirroring his hand movements. When Kabuto notices what's going to happen, he's already stopped his scalpels from forming and falls to his knees, his dark eyes glazing over with a softness that Sasuke has never seen before.

When the Uchiha and his close release the jutsu, the immense heat wells up in the hall, the fire blasting towards Kabuto's corpse, combining once they meet and destroying the hall in all its glory. A wave of heat overtakes the area of the hideout, wiping out every wall that surrounded them. Sasuke already canceled out his clone, his body fleeing the scene before he died a fiery death much like Kabuto had.

The heat wave that flew through the hall eventually caught up to Sasuke, shoving his body into the wall to the right of him and ruffling his hair as it passed by and continued to surge through the building.

 _Only one left_ , the voice brought him back to reality. Sasuke wiped the sweat from his face, his knuckles bruised and bleeding once more from when he punched the wall. He felt his own chakra grow stronger once he pushed off from the wall and continued towards Orochimaru. He knew the snake would be half dead by the time he got there, knowing the sannin's immortal life would be coming to an end soon.

Very soon.

He was now perched in front the door, sensing Orochimaru from outside. When he took another step towards the door, Orochimaru was already attacking.

A white snake burst through the wood, fangs poised while he lunged at Sasuke. When the Uchiha dodged, there was another serpent coming from the side, bursting through the shattered wood of the door and hissing as it came towards him.

Sasuke waited, waited until the snake's head was near him and before it could reach him, he ran the blade of his sword clear through the scales, muscle tissue and watched as its head dropped to the ground. Another snake lunged, but Sasuke ended that one as well, watching as the scales scattered along the stone floor. He released another fireball, clearing the area of anymore snakes and burst through the door frame, his Sharingan eyes focused on the black haired man.

Orochimaru swayed, his long dark hair covering over half his face while his arms hung from their sockets. He was sick and it make Sasuke chuckle.

"It's over," the promise in his voice makes his teacher scoff, but Orochimaru spits up blood before flipping the hair from his eyes and glaring at Sasuke.

"You ungrateful little brat."

Sasuke gave him the pleasure of saying his last words before the ray of light unleashed from his Kusanagi, piercing through the abdomen of the snake, cutting through the wall behind him and letting off an ear shattering screech. It made the air hot with its blinding light, sending blood flying from Orochimaru's body as it impaled him. The man dropped to his knees, his yellow irises wide, slit pupils narrowing as he stared into Sasuke's bleeding eyes.

The Uchiha could already see Orochimaru's neck elongating, coming towards him in a slithering movement, the sword from his throat coming at his heart. With one fluid movement, he lifted his sword, flash stepped to the side and swung down with a strong swipe. The sword from the sannin's neck skid across the ground, smacking against the wall before it stopped in its wake.

Blood dripped from the pale neck of Orochimaru, squirting and spritzing the wall in crimson liquid, his head rolling from his body and towards Sasuke's foot.

He melted his eyes, from deep velvet red to calm obsidian before exiting the room. Sasuke felt the weight against his chest lighten, the air returning to his lungs as he walked through the corridor, leaving the body of Orochimaru behind to rot.

Until the scent of charcoal wood and roaring fires invaded his nostrils, sending a jolt of panic through his body.

The curse mark continued to crawl, finally receding until he heard that familiar voice.

 _Leave her_ , but he frowns, knowing all too well that she'll die if he doesn't save her from the blazing fire.

He can't sense her, and his mind is panicking much more than he'd like. Sasuke could easily leave, give in to the voice that taints his mind and soul, but his heart still peaks through the curtain of darkness and pleads; he takes off down the corridor, towards the swelling heat.

After what seems like running for hours, his legs begin to cramp, the smoke entering his mind and making it hard to breath. Sasuke coughs, trying to make it through the burning hideout as he makes it to the stairs that lead to Sakura's cell.

The entire hall is engulfed in flames, burning each stone and pallet of wood in their wake, creating an eerie glow of orange as it swallows the stairs and hall whole. He curses his fireball technique, knowing very well that Sakura could possibly be dead down there, but he needs the closure, needs to know if she's okay or dead.

His hand is already hot as he throws his palm to the ground, sending electricity through the ground. The electricity does nothing, only creates a blue glow once it surges through the flames and Sasukes feel the aching pain in his chest return, the pain that he's tried ridding himself of, freeing himself from the shackles of guilt and torture.

"Sasuke?!"

The voice startles him, but when he turns, he sees the familiar amethyst eyes. The glow from the fire amplifies the beauty in his violet eyes, it warms the white strands of hair on his head as well. He stands further down the hall, stark naked and staring into the Uchiha's red eyes, his arm covering his nose and mouth.

"Come on, what are you doing? This place is burning down!"

Sasuke can't leave though, he knows that Sakura is down there and alive, but he can't get to her. He knows this man can help though.

"Suigetsu, come here," he calls through the flames, the darkening smoke. The man hesitates for a moment before his legs carry him to Sasuke.

Sharingan eyes remained on his purple eyes, annoyed with the fact that Suigetsu didn't have any clothes on; this man would be his only hope with getting to Sakura.

"Put the fire out," he orders, his voice low and hoarse from the smoke.

"Why? We need to go!" The argumentative voice darkens Sasuke's mood more. He begins to rise from his spot on the ground, leveling his eye contact with the water user. Suigetsu's eyes grow wide and Sasuke can see the slight hesitation. "Okay, okay, fine! But then we need to go, got it?"

In one swift movement, the white haired main sends a brisk wave of refreshing water down the corridor, ridding the walls and flooring of flames with a sharp sizzle. The smoke grew thicker once the water downed the flames, but before he could say anything more to Sasuke, the Uchiha was sprinting down the stares. When Suigetsu went to follow him, the holler made him stop in his steps, "stay there."

When he arrived at the bottom floor, small flames continued to consume the room, smoke still filtering and flowing to the ceiling. Sasuke's eyes shot to the cell, only to see the broken and bent bar and his heart stopped. Blood rushed to his ears, deafening the crackling of flames around him. He felt his mind go numb, knowing that Sakura had escaped and he wouldn't see her again. Or one of Orochimaru's henchmen took off with her. Each thought made his mind jump, his heart continue to beat against his empty chest.

 _Find her and kill her,_ the voice tried to consume him, tried convincing him to rid his heart of her existence, but with one final sweep through the room, he found the large indent in the wall and knew that the figure lying against the ground was her.

Ash, dirt, sweat, everything covered her fair skin, even blood and cuts. When he approached her body, he couldn't tell if she was dead or alive at this point. The cloth that covered her nose and mouth blended in with her dirt covered skin and when Sasuke bent over to pick her up, he couldn't bring himself to touch her.

He had never touched a woman, let alone shower his mother in hugs, and her shower him with kisses. He placed a hand over her arm, letting it hover over her skin until he brushed her lightly. The feeling sent a jolt through his digits, crawling up his limb and going straight to his central nervous system.

The wood from the doorway collapsed, startling Sasuke into jumping slightly. He finally rid his thoughts and cradled Sakura's body. She was surprisingly light, slim body but fine tuned with muscles now, much different than when she was a genin. His eyes noticed the blood that dripped from her forearm, coating her clothing in a dark liquid while her head tilted over his arm, rose quartz hair spilling over as well, tickling his arm.

Sasuke left the room, forgetting of its existence the second he climbed the stairs. Suigetsu was standing at the top, his arms crossed while he balanced most of his weight on one leg and looked at Sasuke with unimpressed eyes. Sasuke's eyes finally faded to black when he felt his body overcome with exhaustion.

"Let's go," the Uchiha says, Suigetsu's eyes on the female in his arms. Sasuke can't help but notice the blood hungry eyes or the toothy smile that covers his features.

"Look at her like that ever again and I'll kill you," the threat falls from dried lips.

Suigetsu only nods his head and raises his hands towards Sasuke, fully understanding his threat. This girl meant a lot to him apparently, but if it hadn't been for Suigetsu, would he even have her in his arms right now?

The men carried on through the hideout, Suigetsu following Sasuke closely while Sasuke flipped his eyes from Sakura, up to the direction that he was heading. The smoke grew thinner as they carried on to the exit. The fresh air already began to enter his lungs, stinging but promising that the air was fresh outside.

Suigetsu collapsed to his hands and knees once they finally escaped, coughing out the toxic smoke that engulfed his lungs until he fell to his stomach, breathing in heavily and exhaling with short gasps.

Sasuke set Sakura down lightly before removing the cloth from her face. She coughed lightly, her eyes squeezing tighter together with each movement. Sasuke even coughed up the smoke from his lungs, his heart beating heavily in his chest while he pushed himself to his rear and fell back on his hands, balancing his weight there.

He could hear the crackling fire and breaking of wood coming from the entrance of the hideout, small puffs of smoking flowing from the opening. When he laid on his back, he smirked.

 _I'm free,_ he thought, his head clear.

The voice that answered back made his stomach churn, knowing all too well that he hadn't escaped from the darkness in his heart or mind, that the demon would live on in him no matter how far away from Orochimaru that he was.

He let the air blow through his air, the warm sun rays speckle his face and chest, heating his skin. When he closed his eyes, he felt his stomach roll with nausea at the question. He heard the small ruffling of grass to his right and knew it was Suigetsu readjusting.

"Well, now what?"


	4. Bare

**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

 _Hi.. as promised, this story is really kicking off now! I've got some positive feedback and I greatly appreciate it :) I'm going to warn everyone now that Sasuke is going to start sinker lower and deeper, losing himself and letting the darkness and demon consume him. I promise that some awesome stuff is going to happen in the future, though! You may/may not like it, but so be it! ;) anyways, let me know what you think so far!_

 _Also, I'm currently trying to figure out what direction I want to move **Initials** in, so that's why I haven't updated it yet. I'll work on updating soon though._

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Bare_

* * *

The sun spots speckle his face through the leaves, leaving warm patches against his skin. Once the wave of nausea washes over, he rolls his head to the side, his dark, mysterious eyes finding violet eyes looking into his, the question still hanging in the air between the two boys.

"We're traveling to another hide out," he says, plain and simple. Suigetsu's face shows confusion, as though he wants to ask something else but he's too afraid. He does it anyways.

"Why?"

"I don't need to give you a reason, you don't have to follow me," Sasuke states plainly, his eyes still looking to amethyst orbs, gazing through those windows and looking into the shinobi's soul.

If that's one thing he hates about himself, it was the ability to see everything, know everything about an individual. He didn't care how other people felt, or what they felt on the inside, yet he was able to see and understand. Sasuke simply understood things from his trained interpretation from over the years. It also gave him an advantage when it came to fighting enemies as well, though. He finally broke the contact when a slight rustle against his chest caught his attention.

A lone leave caught in the slit of his shirt, blowing lightly due to the breeze.

It was colored in vivid greens, fresh lines running through the inner layers, bringing out every detail that this simple leaf had to offer. The light yellow splotch towards the center, outlined in a lighter green, fading to the deep green that colored it as a whole. Sasuke plucked the leaf from his shirt before crushing it in his palm, envisioning it as the Leaf, his previous home.

The Uchiha finally sat up, his eyes already on Sakura. She was still lying on the ground, her body coughing while in her unconscious form. He wasn't sure when she would wake up, and he sure as hell wasn't sure what he'd do _when_ she woke up. Sasuke didn't need anything from her, yet he wanted her there to take on this task, travel with him and whoever else he would find, take down Itachi.

He wanted her there, yet he didn't want her to shoulder his pain or misery.

"What's the plan with her?" Suigetsu's hestitant voice ripped Sasuke from his thoughts. He didn't turn his head to meet eyes with Suigetsu this time though, instead he stared at Sakura's form on the ground.

"She's a medical nin, she'll come in handy."

He tells himself this, lying to himself and lying to Suigetsu. This isn't the reason he wants her there, but Suigetsu clicks his tongue in response before standing and casting a shadow upon the girl's body. Sasuke finds his face pulling into a scowl, remembering that the white haired man is still naked after all.

"Go put some clothes on," he snaps, his voice low and harsh.

"Where am I going to find clothes, exactly?" The tone in Suigetsu's voice is sarcastic yet hard, but Sasuke matches it.

"Figure it out," he growls back. "And bring something back for Sakura."

Suigetsu throws his hands in the air before slapping them back down against his hip bones, making a sharp noise that pierced through the secluded forest, sending birds flying from the branches in the trees. Sasuke could only pinch the bridge of his nose and relish in the idea of sitting here, waiting for the idiot to return before they started their journey across the land.

Suigetsu smiles a malicious smile before melting to his liquid form, becoming clear and colored in pastel azures and sapphires, his smile still visible through the transparent water.

"I'll be back, no funny business," he jokes silently before washing away.

Sasuke rolls his eyes once more. Suigetsu reminds him of the dobe back home, how idiotic his friend was, his childish antics and loud mouth ways. The memories of Naruto were bittersweet, causing his mouth to dry up and his throat to constrict. His eyes found Sakura once more before he exhaled sharply, stood to his feet and walked his body to her.

He cradled her once more before stalking off into the cover of the greenery, hiding their bodies and presence from any wandering travelers, shinobi, or trackers. They were rogue nin, and he knew what would happen if anyone crossed paths with them; the trackers would be dead and Sasuke would be taking off with Sakura's body.

He snickered at the thought, his smirk appearing on a porcelain face with obsidian eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

Sakura weighed close to nothing as he continued through the brush, stepping over roots, climbing rocks and sidling through trees. When she snuggled her face towards his chest, resting her head against his pectoral, he felt his body stiffen.

She had only ever been this close to him when he knocked her out, leaving her body to soak up the cold weather as she was laid to rest on the bench overnight. The same night that he evaded Konoha, promising to never return. Ever since his time away, he had become stronger, wiser, grown more as a human since he was able to roam freely and take on stronger enemies. It was much better than picking up garbage around the village, or finding some poor lady's lost cat. The memories angered him, causing his eye brows to furrow.

The sound of rushing water became more apparent as he pressed through the trees and bushes. The sound of lapping water against rocks calmed his mind. The closer he got, the more the air smelled of soaked moss and fresh fish and the second he arrived, he noticed how peaceful the sight was.

Rushing water, running rapidly over jagged rocks, while other parts were calm, floating along with gravity pulling at it. The water was clear, making the smooth rocks from below the surface clear as day, the different colors of tans and browns popping with intense colors.

When he finally arrived by the water's edge, he began to work his sandal off his foot. His toes pressed heavily against the heel of his left, slipping the sandal off carefully before repeating with the other foot. The wet soil and sand against his calloused feet felt relaxing, the sound of flowing water exciting his senses. He laid Sakura down gently, his mind running through the easiest way of addressing this 'issue'.

His mind washed over with thoughts similar to those of any man his age. Sasuke wanted to peal her clothes off of her body, lavish in the curves that formed her hips. The bumps of her chest that were obviously wrapped tightly with bindings, and the illustrious muscles that toned her smooth looking legs. The dirt and sweat that painted her skin hid the inviting color of her skin, frustrating Sasuke further as he began to unzip the front of her shirt, careful to not touch her inappropriately.

She stirred at his slight touches, making his mind panic and his hands tremble.

He wanted so badly to take her, take her in the calm of this secluded forest. On the side of the river, their limbs and skin rubbing in the soft dirt and sand that lined the river while their lips crashed against one another, pressing harshly and feeding upon one another's lust and hormones.

Sakura stirred once more, causing Sasuke to frown, his dark eyes narrowing in on her revealed chest, the sarashi covered in blood, sweat and dirt. His eyes began to widen the further he unzipped her blouse, revealing taut, defined abs and the small navel that was placed right in the center of her stomach. He noticed every scar, cut, bruise that lined her body, painting her skin in battle wounds and lining her like a damn tiger.

Sakura is fierce now, stronger than ever, her strength becoming well known across all the land as she rises with the title as Tsunade's pupil. She's also becoming a well known medic, one of the best in the Land of Fire, excelling at everything that's been passed down to her, and it's all because of her excellent chakra control.

Another bittersweet memory tainting his mind as he continues to unzip the shirt that isn't quite covering her body anymore. He finishes his job before sliding her arms through the holes and discarding the fabric to the left of them. It smells of smoke and blood, soaked from the sweat of her body and covered in muck. He grasps her boots, releasing the buttons of each hook and slides them from her legs and feet; a clear line of grime resting against her shin where the top of her boot came to rest.

Sasuke swallowed heavily as he began to remove the wrapping from her leg, the one that her kunai holster rest firmly against. The more his hand brushes against her skin, the more aroused he becomes at how soft her skin is against his leg. She's filthy as fuck, but he's so into the light brushes and soft stirring of her body that he begins to find himself light headed as he discards the wrapping and pulls at the buckle of her skirt.

He notices now how long her legs are, how much she's grown since he's last seen her and really looked at her. The thing that really pisses him off is that he feels his Sharingan activate and before he can stop himself, he's already engraving the view of Sakura and her taut, defined and battle ready body into his mind. Matured in every way possible, proving that she's now a woman capable of mass destruction and not a whimsy cry baby anymore.

Sasuke scoffs at the thought, seeing small, timid Sakura cowering behind him as he stands before her with a kunai poised, Sharingan activated and death shimmering in his blood red eyes.

He was her protector after all, the boy that took pride in caring for such a small girl. He knew now though that she didn't need saving, or help. She would kick the shit out of someone, and he just _knew_ it.

Her body presents itself in front of maroon eyes, her chest rising and falling with the small breaths that she takes and as Sasuke falls back to his rear, he pulls his hands to interlock under his chin, considering if he should put her in the water as she is, or remove the rest of her clothes.

All that's left are those skin tight spandex and wrappings that cover her breasts, and Sasuke finds his mind is troubled by stripping her clean of everything, or leaving the dirty clothing on her. He snarls in protest before pushing up from the soft ground and grabbing hold of the wrapping in the front, square in the center. He pulls roughly, ripping the bindings in half, the ripping of cloth making a horrendous sound as he's greeted with the sight of her rounded breasts, fair skinned like the rest of her body and her nipples small and pleasant, colored in a light pink.

Sasuke finds himself dumbfounded now as he's face to face with Sakura's breasts, taking in the sight and how she has truly grown up in the past three years. His fingers tremble as he's still holding onto the torn wrapping, while Sakura's eyelids begin to open slightly.

She looks confused at first, still asleep the more he thinks about it, but the scene that's about to play out between the two causes his mind to run through the possible outcomes and what he should do.

 _Fuck_ , he tells himself as she coughs once, twice, three times. She rolls her head in the sands, cherry blossom tresses picking up the separate grains of sand and carrying them with her motions.

Sasuke now notices the soft expression in her eyes, the shimmering of yellow and lime green flecks catching the different rays of sun as she focuses in on him. He can still tell that everything is still hazy for her by the way she looks at him. He knows it's from the smoke and fumes that she inhaled from the room that she had passed out in, too.

He doesn't say a word though, only looks at her with a scowl on his face while she lies topless in front of. He notices how she begins to move her fingers around in the sand the more she comes through to her senses.

It's when her eyes drop from his and trace down his body, and to the object in his hand that her eyes focus in, narrowing, her lips parting, that he sees the panic course through her body, her face, flashing in her eyes.

Those perfect eyes widen, vivid green and lively as ever that she realizes exactly what he has in his hands. And it's when she screams and begins to scramble that he slams both his hands over his ears and his teeth are clenching together that he remembers exactly how annoying Sakura Haruno can be.

 **. . .**

Sakura can't feel the courage in her chest, her bare chest that is presented to the boy she's spilled her heart out to and has always had feelings for, and now she's presented in front of him, half naked. She doesn't know what to think, or do, but she wraps her arms around herself, concealing her breasts from his hungry eyes.

"What the hell!" She chokes out, coughing lightly as her brows knit themselves together.

She knows damn well she shouldn't yell at him, knowing that Sasuke is a criminal, but she also knows that he wouldn't do anything too rash to hurt her. Or would he? He mirrors her look, brows pressed tightly against one another as he brings his hands away from his ears. Her shriek probably would've attracted enough attention, and she knew that he'd reprimand her for that.

"Shut up, Sakura."

He begins their day by ordering and bossing her around, great.

Then it all begins to come back to her. She's sitting outside, in one of the most beautiful places she's ever seen and she's covered in filth, while Sasuke Uchiha stands in front of her with his sandals removed and they're outside. Not in the hideout. Where everything was on fire and quickly filling up with smoke.

"What happened?" She asks, her eyes scanning the trees as he fingers brush lightly against her light skin.

"Nothing that concerns you. Get washed up, you're filthy," his face doesn't change, but his tone does. It's light, soft as a feather and Sakura can hardly hear it over the running of water. She swallows the saliva from her mouth, moistening the dryness of her throat.

"Then go away," Sakura commands, filling her voice with a hardness much like Tsunade does.

"No."

His refusal baffles her, frustrates her, yet she knows she can't argue with him. He's too stubborn, too stuck in his ways.

Sakura feels her skin crawl from under his eyes, knowing that his Sharingan will remember exactly what she looked like and the thought spreads a furious blush across her cheeks. The heat scorches her skin, sending a wave of fire through her veins and angering her that she would let herself get knocked out so easily. It's at that thought that the quick pulse of pain rides of her spine and ends in the nape of her neck.

Her back colliding with the wall and knocking the breath from her lungs.

Sakura purses her lips before clicking her tongue loudly. Not only would Sasuke give her the privacy that she needed, but she also wanted to heal her back and rid the pain. She couldn't do that if she didn't have her hands available. Instead of arguing further, Sakura stood from her spot and faced away from Sasuke before letting her hands fall from her chest.

The kunoichi inhaled deeply, ridding her mind of the embarrassment and the uncomfortable feeling of Sasuke's eyes on her body as she grabbed the elastic of her spandex and began to peel them from her hips, down her thighs, and kicked them off to the side with a quick flip of her foot. Sakura continued her breathing, focusing solely on the pain in her back, the cool liquid against her toes as she entered the water, and soon, the comforting embrace of the water as she wades to one of the deeper spots of the river.

Once she was in, she could already feel the dirt pulling away from her skin, the water entering each cut and scrape as it cleans each of them out. When she dips her head back, Sakura feels her breasts escape the clutches of the water as her scalp submerges into the cooling embrace, soaking in the relaxation of the calm. When Sakura feels her ears disappear under the surface, she finally feels calm, transparent in a world of hate and constant fighting, she feels free.

Free of her body, free of the hungry eyes that are locked onto her naked body, free of the worry of returning to Konoha.

She could breath.

Once she finished wetting her hair in the river, she finally pulled her hair back from the water, whipping the rose quartz hair forward and creating a bridge of water drops from the body of water, to the sky, creating a glistening and shimmering show made of water.

It was when her hair came to rest over her left eye that she was looking into dark eyes, shimmering with fascination as he watched Sakura with a content look on his face, his hands clenched on either side of his body.

"Look away," she calls from her spot in the water, her arms crossing over her chest once more to conceal the view from Sasuke. The look on his face washed away and was instantly replaced with his usual scowl, but he did as she said and focused his eyes on the birds that jumped against the rocks, plucking and picking at the small bugs that scurried across the rough surfaces.

Sakura went back to scrubbing her body, ridding herself of the sweat and dirt, scrubbing at her scalp and washing the sand, blood and whatever else resided within her thick locks of hair. The matte red that colored the water startled her at first, but she found peace in the way her fingers brushed through her hair, massaging the tension from her body and ridding the filth.

Once the knots of dried blood finally released, Sakura turned her back to Sasuke and began to focus chakra to her hands. It was there that she felt at home, pressing her sore hands to the base of her spine and heating it with chakra, soothing the pain that transpired and reverberated throughout her body as a whole.

The calming and warm sensation created a smile on her face as she continued to concentrate her chakra in her spine, kneading and threading through sore and tired muscles, all while she stood bare in front of Sasuke.

It took Sakura all of five minutes before the chakra flowed freely from her hands and entered her body that she felt the pain lift. She knew it was much harder to heal herself, rather than heal someone else, but once she was finished, she turned to Sasuke who was now watching her with brooding eyes.

She could only smirk, knowing that he watched her the entire time she bathed herself in the clear river.

"Are you done?" He snapped before inching towards her.

"Yeah... What am I going to wear?" The question startles her, panics her mind.

Sasuke's lips pull into a firm line before he pulls the bottom of his shirt from his pants and slides it over his body, revealing washboard abs alongside well defined pectorals. Sakura feels her body tense up at the view of his amazing physique. Evergreen eyes scan the lines, the contours of each muscle, how his biceps move when he pulls the remaining cloth from his head and holds it out, a smirk painted on his gorgeous face.

"Here," he offers with a sarcastic tone.

She glares now, knowing damn well that she's not playing this perverted game of his.

"You're joking," Sakura says flatly, not amused one bit.

"I'm not," he reassures her, a dangerous flash behind his obsidian eyes.

Sakura grunts, a harsh shade of red filling her face but she refuses to play this dangerous game, refuses to show him more of what he wants. He left her after all, after she promised him a life filled with happiness. She feels her heart flutter in her chest as she replays the memory in her head, pain filling the hole that Sasuke had created when he left her that night.

"I need to talk to you, anyways. Come here," his voice pulled her from her thoughts and created a new tinge of panic within her chest. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, pulsing and sending worry through each vein in her body. He sounded pissed, his voice deep and covered in darkness.

Sakura began to wade through the water, her legs pushing through the current until she had the water resting against her hips, only feet away from Sasuke.

"Closer, Sakura," he warns, and at those words she swallows her pride and builds up her dignity before inching closer to him.

She can see the small smears of dirt on his face now as she stands only inches away. She gathers the soft cloth of his shirt in her arms and pressing it against her chest firmly, letting it snake to cover her hips and conceal her pelvic region. Sasuke's hand stays in the air between the two of them, nearly touching the skin of her arm and when she looks back up to his face, she sees the softness in his eyes.

"I need your help, Sakura."

 **. . .**

The confusion in her raw and uncut emerald eyes hurts, hurts the iced over heart - or so called heart - in his chest. She says something, but he doesn't hear through the blood rushing to his head and cutting out all the sounds around them; chirping birds, leaves rustling against one another, the calm rush of water nearby.

"Sasuke?"

The shrill tone in her voice brings him back, reminding him of her previous scream not long ago, when she was pure and exposed in front of him.

"You're coming with me," he feels the words leave his lips, filling the space between them. Sakura scrunches his shirt between her fingers as she clenches it tighter within her fist. He can see her knuckles turn white, reminding him of his own bruised knuckles that pulsate with a bit of pain when he thinks about them.

"No," she clicks her tongue with a smug look.

And it's in that moment, that one second, that the world turns from happy go lucky, to fucked.

He has the two of them on the ground, his body on top of hers and pressing her into the sand and water.

And it's in that moment that fear overtakes her expressions, turning that vivid green of her eyes to a matte emerald, glossy with fear and frustration.

Her skin feels amazing against her own, the way her round breasts press against him beneath his shirt, and how her hip bones press against his own. The feeling is exhilarating, enticing, inviting. But the voice within him presents itself once more that day, darkening his mood and reminding him just why he had asked Sakura for her help.

"I'm not asking," Sasuke's voice is hoarse, his breath running across Sakura's skin, causing her to break out in goosebumps. "I'm telling you."

The uneven stutter in her throat entertains Sasuke, making him all too aware that she's still a pawn, still under his spell, still his Sakura. Her looks might've changed, but there's that one thing about her that never changed; her love for the Uchiha.

Sasuke trails a finger up her arm, tracing the goosebumps and leaving more in his wake until he reaches her collarbone, tracing the gorgeous and stunning shape with his dirty finger nail.

 _She's so fucking beautiful,_ he yells to himself, but warns that she's not worth it, he's only using her.

Her startled jade eyes are still looking into his, revealing the fear that lies within them, yet he sees a certain softness that she's always had there and it pisses him off. She can do so much better, yet she's still head over heels for a guy that knocked her out and left her behind. When he finishes running his hand across her clavicle, he finds her neck, the pulsing vein there and it's there that he feels the nervous beat.

She's terrified; he's excited.

She deserves the best; he deserves nothing of the sort.

When she swallows, he presses his palm firmly around her slender neck, wrapping strong fingers against the skin there and lavishing in the terrified look that lies within her eyes. He feels guilty, oh so guilty that he finds pleasure in her parted lips and short exhales.

"Sasuke," she forces out as his grip tightens on her throat, promising an unspoken promise.

"Come with me."

For a second, he's lost to the darkness in his heart, trapped in the ice and for a second, it's not him talking. It's that fucking demon that's taken over his body, and now he's comfortable with scaring Sakura, making her feel terrified; forcing her to agree to something she doesn't want. "If you don't, I'll just have to kill you," he whispers quietly, his onyx eyes melting to a deep red.

Their noses are mere inches apart now, and when she nods softly, he releases that capturing smirk of his. Sasuke can only swallow hard, swallow down the guilt of knowing Sakura is still his and no one else's, but it pleasures him, knowing that she's waited for him and she always will wait.

"Good," he whispers, matching the tone of her last words, loving the way she spoke his name last.

He feels the twisting in his stomach when she readjusts, one leg coming up to rest on the side of his thigh while his finger traces up her neck, lining her jaw and coming to rest on her chin. Sasuke notices that Sakura no longer looks scared. Her evergreen eyes shimmer with promise, shimmer with hope, a lightness that he's only seen come from her eyes.

He moves his index from her chin to the outer corner of her lips, lining the bottom with the padding of his thumb now. He presses his forehead against hers, looking deeper into her orbs, through her outer layer and really looking at her.

She's scared, lost in her own mind, yet she's so fascinated with how close he is that she's put her fears and worries aside, and she's consumed with how he's looking at her that she's lost. Lost in this make believe world that he's seen before, been invited to join before, and it upsets him. Upsets him deeply.

"Hey!"

The sudden voice startles him, makes Sasuke jump to his hands, yet his pelvis is still pressed against Sakura's, shielding her from their trespasser.

"I was gone for a _hour_ and you're trying to take a nap?!" It's Suigetsu, fully clothed unlike Sasuke or Sakura now. Sasuke's thankful that Sakura is hidden, rocks and bundles of grass blocking his view of Sakura.

Along with his clothes, is a rather large sword, one that Sasuke's seen before. And in the water user's hands, more clothing.

"Shut the fuck up," Sasuke snarls from his position above Sakura. She's now pulled his shirt to conceal her body, hiding it from the strange human that broke the moment between the pair. Sasuke looks back to her before running a smooth hand through her damp, wavy curls of pink tresses, and leaving his current position on Sakura and hoisting his body up. He grabs his sandals from the shore and walks towards Suigetsu, the white haired shinobi throwing the clothing to Sasuke.

He glances at the particles in his hand, noting that there's a black tank top made for a man, a black, rather tattered obi from a kimono, and a pair of black leggings. He shrugs before sliding the tank on over his head and tucking it into his pants and fastening his rope around his waist.

"I also got these, just in case," Suigetsu pulls the sarashi from his pouch, something else he had found while terrorizing a nearby farm house. Sasuke nods before taking the cloth from his hands and turning his back to slide the sandals on over his sand covered feet.

"Where did the lady go? What's her name? Sak-"

"She's bathing, go wait by the road."

The soft groan from Suigetsu irritates Sasuke, drives him to a darkening mood. "Whatever you say, _boss_."

Once he feels Suigetsu far enough away, Sasuke returns to Sakura and finds that she's hunched over in the water, ridding her back and hair of sand. Her curves appear through the water's surface, emphasizing the way her slender yet toned body that she now possessed. Sasuke stood on the shore, his dark eyes watching with interest as she would cup the water and pour it lightly down her raised arm.

Sakura moved with such graceful, fluid movements, like she was dancing, yet she was just casually moving. She moved in silence, much like a shinobi should, and Sasuke couldn't help but smirk, clearing his mind and finally seeing that she may just compare and be equal to him some day.

He didn't feel like sticking around, instead he gave her the privacy she yearned. He set the clothing down softly against his shirt - which was laid out on a rock nearby - and rest them there before turning on his heel and heading in Suigetsu's direction.

Sakura's scent still lingered on his skin, invading his nostrils and reminding him just how dangerous this game can be. It was nostalgic, how she smelled. Her scent wasn't as strong as it used to be, more so from their adventure earlier that day, but she still smelled fresh, like fruit, like the flowing water from the water.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, trying to focus less on Sakura and more at his goal on hand. He found himself growing frustrated, much like he was when he was a genin in Konoha. Frustrated that he was letting Sakura get in his way of his revenge, his goals, frustrated with how pretty she is, how beautiful she is, much like a blooming flower.

Frustrated with the smirk that Suigetsu was giving him now.

"You've totally got the hots for her."

"What did I tell you earlier?"

"Umm-"

"Shut the fuck up," this man reminds Sasuke so much of Naruto that it hurts. Hurts what's left of his heart, stings the back of his mind, and he just _knows_ how stressful the next few weeks, months will be with the endearing Sakura and annoying Suigetsu.

And it pisses him off so much to be reminded of a past that he cut loose, released from his grip, forever to be forgotten.

 **. . .**

She can feel her fingers tremble as she runs them through her hair, plucking the last pieces of sand from wet, wavy locks and it makes her upset. Upset to know that Sasuke still has that much power over her mind, her heart. Still upsets her that after all the training she had endured, that she was still the little girl that was infatuated with the youngest Uchiha.

Sakura swallows hard, swallows the tears that threaten to prick at the corners of her eyes, swallows the built up emotions, the fear, the love. All of it, she swallows it down to the pit of her stomach where it can rot and be forgotten about for the remainder of the day.

 _What does he even want with me_ , she thinks to herself, frustrated with the fact that he's never wanted anything to do with her before. But now, now he wanted her help, wanted her to come along.

Or else he would kill her.

The dark look in his eyes frightened her, the way his pupil clouded over with an eerie yellow, his lower water line rimmed with a red, until she could see the rubber band snap within him. Something awoke from behind those precious, deep, dark obsidian eyes, and it frightened her.

This wasn't Sasuke.

This was that fucking curse mark that Orochimaru had placed on him three years ago; the demon within.

Sakura cupped one last ounce of water in her hands before splashing it against her face, ridding any tears that might've escaped from the corners of her eyes. Washing away the misery that lined her eyes, the sadness that formed her frowning lips.

When she finally finished wading through the water and saw that there were more clothes than just Sasuke's long sleeve shirt, she felt at ease. She made quick work of the outfit, knowing exactly what would go where.

Sakura slid the sarashi on first, adjusting it to a comfortable place and then sliding the long sleeve over her head. It smelled of smoke, alongside the deep scent of Sasuke. She consumed the smell, becoming intoxicated on a how a damn human being can smell so inviting and comforting, yet be one of the most scariest and dangerous humans in the world. Her body swam in the shirt, her shoulder hanging out a bit, while most of her body was revealed in the front. She shook it off though, knowing this was better than her torn and useless clothes from earlier.

Next came the leggings, and finally the obi. She found it odd that Sasuke would give her this of all things, but she figured it would be better than traveling around naked with not only Sasuke, but whoever he was talking to before he pushed away from her body. Once she placed the obi in it's position, she readjusted Sasuke's shirt a bit, having it hang lightly over the tied obi, yet still bringing out the curves and round of her body.

She felt that she looked all right.

Finally, her boots slipped on and everything felt right. Everything except...

"My fucking headband!"

Frustration swept through her body, alongside it, disappointment. She searched the area around her, finding her old set of clothing and found that the corners were frayed, burnt, stained from blood and soaked with sweat. The stench made her nose crinkle, and she was thankful that Sasuke made her bathe now. A slight wave of embarrassment took over, but she shrugged it off. Sakura tied her kunai holster firmly around her thigh, knowing that she would find a weapon to place in it soon enough.

The last thing she needed was a medical pouch, the familiar bag that wrapped around her waist, carrying the supplies that she was familiar with.

"Let's go," the sudden voice of Sasuke startled her, causing her to turn around.

He now had a black tank top, a large slit running down the middle, much like the long sleeve she now had on. His onyx eyes scanned her new look, an approving smirk presenting itself against his lips. Sakura couldn't help but meet his smirk with a glare.

She hated him for giving her an ultimatum, hated him for asking for her help - telling her that she'll help him - but most importantly, she hated him for acting so casual and _so_ into her, when before he never wanted anything to do with her.

"Right," she mumbled softly to herself, trying to reassure her mind that she would escape.

Escape and return to Konoha, even if it killed her.

Even if she did love Sasuke, this wasn't the kind of help that she wanted to give him. He wanted help with something dark and the only help that she wanted to provide, was the help to return him back to the light, return his mind back to being pure and innocent.

He was lost in the darkness, lost to a demon; Sakura could be the light, could be his guidance from the Hell that he'd placed himself in.

 _As if_ , the thought doesn't even lift her mood, only drags her down further as she follows him from the greenery and face to face with the individual from earlier.

"Nice to see you're alive and not dead," he says with a sly smile and nod of the head.

Sakura smiles her fake smile known by many, but recognized by none. She can only nod, the depression from within eating away at the core of her body, reminding her just how upset, just how low she had become the past years, and this was something she never would've expected.

And as if she never would've thought she'd be following a shark like man, alongside Sasuke, through a beautiful forest, colored in vivid greens, dark blues, soft yellows and welcoming oranges.

 _As if._


	5. Reasons

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Hey guys! Sorry about the late update, I've been fairly busy with other things. Anyways, I appreciate the reviews and messages that I've been getting regarding this story, and I'd really love to know what you thought/think so far! This chapter is a bit bland, it's a transition chapter, but hey! Gotta have some of these in order to connect pieces of the story ;) leave a review, please! I appreciate it and all the support you've given so far! Have a great week, and I'll update next Monday!_

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Reasons_

* * *

He's angry.

Angrier than usual as the trio travels through the dry land, no promises of shade or water nearby.

Whether it be the constant slurping of Suigetsu and his stupid cup, or just Sakura's presence and annoying, graceful footfalls not too far behind, Sasuke can feel his mind consume him.

The dry Earth is colored in a deep red, dry from the lack of water that reaches this part of the land, and it irks him not knowing _exactly_ where they were at right now. He finally decided to break Suigetsu from his annoying sipping and pull Sakura from the day dream that her mind was currently lost to.

"Any idea where we're at?"

Sakura's small scoff makes him want to turn on her and give her a piece of his mind. It had been days since he had last eaten, hours since he last drank any water, and it already ate away at his ego to have to ask _them_ of all people exactly where they were at.

"Land of Earth."

 _Good,_ Sasuke's annoying demon chimes in, low and rough.

The mountains in the distance make sense now as they grow closer to the village. He plans on taking the route around the village, avoiding any human interaction unless they became absolutely desperate for food. In that case, they'd stay at some run out, worn down hotel and get their fill of food and drinks, maybe even sleep.

"It'd be smart not to get too close to the village, preferably head towards the mountains," Sakura's voice pulls Sasuke from his thoughts and he turns his head slightly, acknowledging her. "You know, to avoid the rock rain. We're out in the open right now."

He inhales, exhales sharply and clears his mind.

He knows he shouldn't be short and nasty with her, but when it comes to a pissing contest, Sasuke will always come out ahead.

"I'm aware," he responds, noting that Suigetsu takes a break from his drink and is now quiet. He knows that him and Sakura are making eye contact, trying to converse through mere eye movements.

"Sakura, can you come here?" He changes his voice from that low, annoyed tone to a calm and monotone one, something that Sakura would willingly oblige to.

"Sure," she calls up before walking in stride with the Uchiha.

He presses a firm hand to her back and pushes her slightly ahead, catching a glimpse of the Uchiha clan symbol on the back of her shirt that she's wearing.

 _Mine,_ he says greedily to himself. The smirk on his lips indicate how cocky he is, how selfish Sasuke can be. Sakura is now walking ahead of him slightly, looking to him with confusion in her eyes, but Sasuke remembers how aware and fascinated she was only a day ago.

Naked, pure, innocent, all laid out in front of him and he could just see it in her eyes how badly she wanted him. How much she still loved him and the lengths she would go for a guy such as himself.

"Lead for awhile, since you know the terrain all so well."

The compliment casts a shimmer of excitement through her eyes, pleasing the Uchiha and knowing that he made her smile instead of drag the heels of her feet in a bored and upset manner. She was now strides ahead, leading the way through the dry terrain and closer towards the mountains on the horizon. He began to calculate just how long it would take until his group reached the base of the peaks, and if they continued walking for the remainder of the day, and _possibly_ half of the night, they'd arrive.

Sasuke turned his glance to Suigetsu and made eye contact with glazed over violet orbs. The white haired shinobi looked so bored, unenthused, but when he noticed Sasuke's gaze on him, he perked up.

Only to show fear on his face when Sasuke glared, his onyx eyes narrowing in on the shark-like man, showing something other than sheer anger.

 _Jealousy._

Sasuke didn't need to say a word, only shoot him that deathly look and smirk at the angered facial expression of Suigetsu. He already knew that the two of them would run into issues; Suigetsu would ultimately lose to the Uchiha if he tried anything too courageous towards Sakura.

When Sasuke glanced back to Sakura, he noticed how loosely his shirt fit her and how small her body actually was compared to that monstrous shirt. She was small, rather toned and elegant long legs spurted from such a fit body. She knew exactly where she was going, or so he thought. Until she stopped, her index finger pressed to her lower lip and when she turned to Sasuke, there was a different look behind her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to go this way?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her, chewing on his thoughts and pondering on what he could say. Of course he wanted to go this way. He needed to find the others to make up his group, and if he wanted to conquer Itachi, then he needed to find the last remaining people.

"Hn, are you lost?" He stabbed at her with an insult, resulting in Sakura to frown and cross her arms.

She looked casual with a shirt that wasn't red, and a skirt that wasn't light pink, almost matching her hair. Sakura looked almost out of her element with the way she was dressed now, but the power that she had under her control could _possibly_ crush him if he got too careless.

"Don't," Sakura warns as she squints her eyes and looks out over the vast horizon. There was nothing but small rolling hills, plenty of dry land, and handfuls of trees. Her warning amuses Sasuke, stirring up that damned demon from within, and it itches at the seal, begging to be released.

He knows better, though. Knows that he shouldn't play such a dangerous game with someone like Sakura. Someone who holds a special place in his heart; she makes it easy, though. Riling him up and exciting him. Sasuke remains casual as he stares at her with a blank facial expression, his onyx eyes scanning the scene that was laid on in front of them.

"I'm hungry," Suigetsu finally broke the silence, and Sakura released a small sigh along with a gentle smile.

The way her white teeth poked through parted pink lips drove Sasuke nuts, knowing that she wasn't smiling at him, but at that dumbass man that had helped free Sakura in the first place. "I'm only asking because the closer we get to the mountains, the more we risk of running into Earth shinobi," she pointed out.

Sasuke only nods as he begins to look at the trees that sporadically begin to change to a different type, smelling much more of pine than the sweet scented trees from Oto. He decides that it's smarter to continue towards the base of the peaks that were coming up than try to go around the entire village as a whole. Orochimaru's hideout wouldn't be near the village anyways, rather hidden somewhere along the mountains.

Sasuke sighed, his patience wearing thin, and to make it worse, clouds began to roll in along the sky and blocked out the soothing light from the sun. He hated the rain, being wet and damp, and most of all, cold. Instead of waiting around, Sasuke pushed past Sakura and began leading their group again. He was irritated, close to the verge of being livid with how annoying Suigetsu and Sakura were being, and he was _especially_ annoyed with Sakura being paranoid.

She was travelling with rogue ninja now, what else would she expect? The thought only angered him further as Sasuke took to the trees and the familiar presence of his 'comrades' trailed closely behind him.

It was only a matter of time before the light sprinkle of rain began to shower down from the darkening clouds, rinsing the three in pure droplets of water and making the limbs of the trees damp and slick. Sasuke had to concentrate and rip his mind away from Sakura's overpowering chakra signature in order to focus on where he was stepping.

It'd be the death of him if he were to slip and fall.

Sasuke's Kusanagi lightly tapped against the back of his legs with each jump he took and in no time, the rain was now pouring and drenching the land in cool waves of water. The soil around them began to smell rich while the pine smell grew stronger. The wind began to pick up as well and before Sasuke could order his group to stop, an unfamiliar jutsu broke through the wall of rain and pierced through the tree trunk that he was next to.

Like a shattering spear that was made strictly of rocks, it shattered against the tree trunk, sending the large wooden pine down to the ground and chunks of rock flying in every direction.

"Shit!" Suigetsu's yell made a low snarl rip from Sasuke's throat.

Apparently Earth shinobi had been tracking them with being completely unnoticed, and now that they were caught in an abrupt storm, their only option was to fight. Sasuke's onyx eyes had already melted to a blood red, his Sharingan tracking the movements of their enemies.

It's apparent from the clanking of metal and loud groans that Suigetsu is already engaged in battle with one of the trackers. Sasuke's mind is already concentrated on his enemies that have begun to close in on him, waiting for the right time.

And it was perfect timing on their part to attack at the same time.

But also an unfortunate mistake when Sakura's fist made contact with one of the shinobi, sending their body flying face first towards a tree. Sasuke immediately discarded of the second attacker with swift movements of his Kusanagi, defending Sakura's backside.

The second he caught a glimpse of Sakura's eyes, a burning passion and flaring determination made him smirk, acknowledging just how much this kunoichi had changed.

 **. . .**

Sakura's heart was racing as she punched and kicked through the few trackers that had made their appearance. The sweat that beaded on her forehead was cold while the fire that coursed through her veins burned every muscle, joint, ligament into moving and taking care of what's on hand.

She saw it at the last minute before Sasuke was stabbed, fending off one of the trackers, while he took care of the other, and the small smirk that he had flashed her made not only her heart flutter, but her own smile of determination appear.

The two were back to back now, searching and watching Suigetsu's fight carry on. She could sense more shinobi surrounding them, and if they weren't taken care of soon, Sasuke's little revenge group would be taken in and punishment would be at hand.

She made a quick move to her left as another tracker came for her, intent on killing her as senbon quickly pierced through the skin on her forearm. While it didn't hurt at first, the pain following it flared up almost immediately.

 _Poison_ , her mind began to race, knowing if she didn't rid her blood of the poison, she'd surely be captured. She didn't have her medic pouch anymore, so that option flew completely out the window.

"Capture the Uchiha!" A shout came from behind her, and when her emerald eyes turned to see exactly who it was, the sound of a thousand birds flooded her senses.

The blinding white light from his sword swung through, catching on to the drops of rain and spreading across the water that pooled up around them. When Sakura's eyes opened, she could feel the tight embrace of Sasuke's arm around her, holding her closely to him, and out of his Chidori Stream's range. A sigh of relief escaped her lips, followed by an immediate panic surge due to Sasuke being so close to her.

When the trackers around them finally fell to the ground, she noticed that their signatures all died down too. When she looked to Sasuke, his smoldering dark eyes held no concern. Sakura swallowed the thick saliva down her dry throat and eventually tore her eyes away from Sasuke, and over to Suigetsu who was lying unconscious in the water. His chakra flickered lightly, and when Sakura reached him, she already had her hands lit up with a calming green chakra, and a soothing hum.

She quickly ran over his body to see if any of his organs had any damage or internal bleeding, and then began to check for any fatal wounds on the outside of his body. She could see the small cuts from senbon on his body as well, knowing that he, too, had been poisoned and if she didn't started working on the two of them soon, they'd be goners.

"We need to find some shelter," Sakura called from over the downpour.

The three of them were completely soaked now as the horrid blasts of thunder from overheard canceled out her hearing for a partial second. The drumming from the skies was looming right on top of her, Sasuke, and Suigetsu, and knowing their luck, they'd be zapped by lightning if they didn't find shelter, and soon.

Sasuke didn't say a word, only his blood red eyes began to scope out any sort of cover from the thick sheets of pouring rain. Sakura noticed how his dark tresses stuck to his face, covering most of his eyes as he looked around.

Black was one of her favorite colors that he wore. The shade complimented his skin, brought out the silver flecks in his eyes, and the light blue high lights in his hair. She couldn't pull her eyes away from him now, but she continued to concentrate chakra to her hands as she closed up any holes that had pierced through Suigetsu.

"There," Sasuke's monotone voice cut through the waterfall like sound, his hand pointing to a faint hill that rolled lightly.

Sakura's evergreen eyes scanned the horizon, but due to the copious amounts of falling water, she wasn't capable of seeing the opening that Sasuke had found. Instead, she shrugged and began to adjust Suigetsu over her shoulder. Once there, she grasped the hilt of his gigantic sword and carried it carefully, facing the blade away from hers and the shark-line man's bodies.

Sasuke's maroon eyes shot her a dangerous look once she was situated with their comrade on her back, but she ignored it. She also ignored the sharp and burning pain in her arm as Sasuke led the way away from the bodies of the trackers. She felt a slight hint of guilt in her heart as they left them there, in the rain, and out in the open for wild animals to feast on.

This wasn't like her, to run around the land with rogue ninja, but what else could she do? Sasuke made it damn clear that he'd kill her if she even tried to escape.

The squishy mud and cool water that entered through the openings in her boots, made it harder to keep up with Sasuke as he easily ran through the rain covered field. When they finally arrived at the opening, Sakura now saw that it was a small secluded space made from fallen boulders and large tree branches that had fallen from nearby trees; it was apparent that someone had made this while out in the open and traveling.

"This should do," Sasuke pointed out as he entered first.

On the inside it was much bigger than it had looked from outside. Sakura walked into after the Uchiha, her body growing tired from the poison and carrying Suigetsu clear across the field. She rested his sword against one of the walls that made the small shelter, and immediately placed his body on the ground. Before she started to pull the poison from his body, she twisted her hair, releasing the water that her pink tresses had absorbed and then tightly pulled it into a small ponytail towards the crown of her head.

Sasuke did the honers of lighting a small fire, hidden away towards the back corner of their shelter while she proceeded to work on Suigetsu. It hadn't taken her long, knowing exactly where the poison was, and how much there had been. It was a process that she had performed on Kankuro recently, and while she excelled in learning the procedure, it still wore her out, especially since she had her own poison to abstract.

Sakura could feel her eyes grow heavy once she was finished with Suigetsu; she could also feel the set of eyes that continued to burn into the nape of her neck.

"What?" Her tone was irritated as she wiped some running water from her forehead. Slight chills ran down her spinal cord as she pulled Sasuke's shirt from the obi and began to wring out water. The skin of her stomach and chest caught the slight breeze that was blowing in from outside and she could only shake her body of the feeling.

"You know they were after you, right?"

Sasuke's statement made Sakura turn on him, an eyebrow raised in question as she tucked Sasuke's long sleeve shirt back in and adjusted it neatly. Of course they were after her, they were after all of them, not just _her._

"They were after all of us," she retorted as she began to settle by the fire and warm her hands up.

Sasuke clicked his tongue lightly, the corner of his lip pulling up slightly as he rested his back against the wall and brought a knee up to rest his arm against. "The Uchiha crest is on your back."

"Excuse you?"

Sasuke didn't entertain her answer, though. His dark eyes adverted to Suigetsu's form on the ground as Sakura pulled the sleeve of Sasuke's shirt up. It was when she brought it up to her bicep that she realized what he had just said.

She was wearing _his_ shirt, after all. It all made sense now, they were aiming for her because she had that crest out in the open. The air left her lungs as she concentrated chakra to her hand, and before she could begin to gather the poison from her arm, her mind began to feel fuzzy.

She could still feel Sasuke's eyes on her while she dozed in and out of consciousness, fighting to rid the poison and then warm up and dry her clothes out. Sasuke refused to move from his spot against the wall. He seemed content on watching Sakura struggle while she remained close to the fire, pulling the small ounce of poison from the pores of her skin.

Heat rushed from the pit of her stomach, mixing with the scorching feeling in her arm as she finished the procedure. When it was finally removed, Sakura could already feel the light headed feeling and the pit of her stomach growing with a more intense heat than before. Before her body made contact with the soil scattered ground, Sasuke caught her against his chest.

She felt that same feeling as she did earlier, her cheeks flushing and eyes widening as Sasuke held her there, his hands holding her in place while her body began to ascend to a deep slumber. Sakura couldn't fight his hands off this time, she couldn't even look at him.

Instead, her evergreen eyes found the dancing flames of oranges and yellows, while Sasuke held her closely to his chest.

"You didn't have to do that," she whispered against his chest. The warmth that radiated from him comforted Sakura's cool skin, resulting in her leaning further into his embrace.

"Don't be stupid. You've obviously exhausted yourself of chakra."

His tone was neither cruel or comforting, mostly straight forward and informing, but Sakura couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips. Instead, she leaned into his chest and inhaled the familiar burning fire scent that rolled off of him and encased her in his scent. Her mind drew blank as her eyelids closed over green orbs, her petite body lulling itself to sleep from chakra exhaustion, yet her mind stayed focused on Sasuke and his small gestures towards her that day.

They had spent a few years apart, yet he still came to her side to protect her when she needed it most.

And as much as she hated to admit it, it warmed her heart and gave her hope that Sasuke was still in there; the same Sasuke she knew and grew up with.

 **. . .**

 _That's the second time,_ the voice inside reminded him. Sasuke could care less though, as he held Sakura's body firmly against his own.

She was cold, shivering in her sleep while she had her drenched body against his own. He knew she was close to passing out, on the verge of losing her composure when she finished extracting the poison from not only herself, but from Suigetsu as well. As strong as a kunoichi that she had grown to be, she still had her limits and she just managed to reach hers.

Sasuke knew he should just let Sakura lay down on the ground next to the fire, but the small shivers that reverberated through her body made him more aware that she could catch pneumonia if she wasn't properly cared for.

He could strip the soaking clothes from her body and put them next to the fire, while he held her and warmed her up with body heat. But then again, that would risk the chance of Suigetsu waking up and seeing, and he'd kill the bastard if he _ever_ saw Sakura without any clothes to cover her body.

Faint visions from earlier the day before entered his mind once more, and he felt his face instantly flush. Sakura's ivory skin, long, beautiful legs, and the way her lips looked while she was laid out in front of him in the open.

His grip on Sakura tightened the more he thought about it, and when he finally rid his mind of the memory, he finally decided that he'd do what was best for her and her health. He laid Sakura down gently and immediately started towards Suigetsu.

He figured the idiot would get sick and only slow them down if he didn't get properly warmed up either, so Sasuke made quick work of discarding the clothing and laying them out by the small fire.

His throat felt tight when his eyes found their way back to Sakura. Her entire body was shaking now as she pulled her knees to her stomach and began to fight for warmth. He immediately began to pull to soaked clothing from her petite body and place them by the fire as well. The shirt that she was absolutely smothering her body, and the way she swam in his clothing pulled at his heart.

Hearing the trackers yell earlier caused his mind to panic and his temper to darken. He hadn't meant to kill the entire squad, but when it came to protecting Sakura, he did what had to be done. When she was finally stripped her of her wet clothing - minus her wrappings and underwear - he started to remove his own clothing as well. He tore his black shirt off and over his head, revealing a body filled with scars and years of hard work. Next came his shoes, pants, the purple rope that he had started wearing when he joined Orochimaru, and finally his lavender skirt.

He scooped Sakura up into his arms and carried her to the spot he had been sitting prior to her passing out. The hard, cold boulder against his back felt anything but soothing. It ached, the sharp points stabbing into his skin, but he needed to be here. He pressed Sakura harder against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her fragile body. It was there when he saw the rather odd scar on her abdomen, painted in a light pink and somewhat different from the rest of her skin.

Whatever she had done to herself, the scar that was left was rather huge, almost like a sword had plummeted through her body. Sasuke only frowned at her scar, curious as to why she hadn't healed it, and why she left it. His hand covered the hurtful reminder, hiding it from his view while guilt wrapped around his chest.

Sasuke remained in this position for what seemed like hours. Between the crackling thunder, and various flashes of light coming from the mouth of the shelter, he felt his mind slowly begin to slip. He was comfortable with having Sakura on his lap, as much as she was shaking, but he did what had to be done. He did it so she wouldn't fall ill and hold up their group from traveling.

 _You're lying to yourself,_ the voice reminded him, burning into the back of his mind while Sasuke clenched his teeth.

He'd do anything to rid that voice from his body. He hated, loathed, despised everything about it, especially when the demon told him the truth when he tried lying. He cared about Sakura, and the last thing Sasuke would ever want to do is see her die from an illness that could've been prevented.

Sasuke spent the remainder of the night with his back in an uncomfortable position while Sakura's head pressed into his chest. She was warm now, her body radiating heat while her pink tresses had finally dried out, sitting in a sloppy ponytail still. One of her arms had come to rest against his abs, and the initial contact made his entire body freeze up, and his mind go blank. Originally, he had been the one working with Sakura and grabbing her and hoisting her from harm's way.

But the small slide of her hand against his body sent electricity and a sharp jolt of life through his body, kick starting his iced over heart and causing his mind to run at a million miles an hour. She was here, still asleep and curled up in his lap, while he held her and stroked the skin of her arms gently much like his own mother would do to him when he wasn't feeling well.

The memory hurt to think about, but if it would make Sakura feel even the slightest bit better, he did it.

 _You're getting too close._

Again, the truth hurt and it was something he'd need to cut off soon.

Sasuke's mind wouldn't rest that night. He wouldn't sleep and he wouldn't relax. When the small trails of steam began to rise from their clothing and the smell of warm laundry filled their shelter, he removed Sakura from his lap and dressed himself in his proper attire. He also grabbed the shirt that Sakura had been wearing, and instead of placing it over her petite frame, he looked at the Uchiha crest with a frown, grabbed his Kusanagi, and cut the emblem from the fabric.

It was messy, but he placed the crest between the rope that held his clothing together, and finished fixing the shirt up for Sakura. It was a rag tag job, but at least she wouldn't have the dangerous target on her back while they traveled. Itachi had gained the infamous reputation for their clan, while Sasuke only added onto it. It was the least he could do for Sakura, to save her from harm's way once more.

He finished dressing the two of them and waited for daylight to break. His mind wouldn't stop overthinking, while his heart consistently whispered to be there for _her_. He struggled the remainder of the night, lost to dark thoughts, and memories of genin days with bright pinks and oranges to color the memories.

He stitched the Uchiha symbol to his shirt, and placed the clothing back on his body. He felt more in control of his life with that familiar bit of himself presented proudly on his clothing.

It was the least he could do.


	6. Undeniable

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Hey again! Sooo, I felt bad for skipping out on an update last week, so since all of you are super amazing and giving me great feedback, here's another chapter this week! I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you all are enjoying it just as much as I am. :) anyways, let me know what you think, and I'll update on Monday! I promise, no more surprise updates!.. for this week anyways ;)_

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart**  
Undeniable_

* * *

Her vision was blurry, head filled with a hazy feeling, and her fingers numb. The same familiar dancing flames entered her line of sight when she finally opened her eyes completely, and by the look of it, it was still night.

Sakura was cautious not to push up from her position on the ground, but take in more of her surroundings and recall the events that happened prior to her passing out. The sick, nauseous feeling running to her head, her body shivering from the damp clothes, Sasuke catching her and cradling her against his own body.

It all made sense now.

When she finally pushed up from the cold, dirty ground, she was welcomed with a grin from Suigetsu. He sat opposite the fire from her, his legs pulled up to his chest with his arms wrapped carefully around them.

"Good morning, sunshine," he greeted. His personality was always bubbly and warm, something Sakura came to appreciate on her travels with two wanted ninja.

While she hadn't known Suigetsu for very long, she was immediately pulled in by his personality and felt close. He reflected a personality much like Naruto, and she felt like that was why she felt comfortable around him.

"What time is it?" Sakura's tired voice was small and gentle. She was still trying to gather her thoughts and comprehend everything.

"Almost four in the morning."

Evergreen eyes widened with shock. How had time passed by that quick? She nodded her response before pushing up from the fire and stretching her arms out over her head. Her hair was still gathered on the top of her head, so instead of leaving it in the messy ponytail, she quickly finger combed through the knots and smoothed it out.

"Are you thirsty at all?" Suigetsu inquired through the loud clash of thunder.

Sakura only nodded her head once more before grasping the bottle that he had handed her. She took a long pull from the bottle of water before feeling it run smoothly down her throat. "Thank you," she cooed happily before handing it back to Suigetsu.

"Say, thanks for um, healing my body up. That was pretty cool!" He grinned another ear to ear smile at Sakura, who returned the smile as gently as she could. "And for dragging me along here. I'm sure it wasn't an easy task, but man, Sasuke can get ahead of himself with his jutsu."

Sakura remember the way the blistering white light heated up the scene, enveloped in the lightest of blues while it soared across the water. He had downed all of their enemies, including Suigetsu, but he managed to grasp Sakura from harm's way and remove her from being hit by the lightning as well.

"Yeah, that was a pretty amazing attack," she recalled.

It got silent in the shelter after her last words, but nothing more than silence overtook. It wasn't even awkward, because Suigetsu wasn't an awkward person, he was calming and friendly - at least that's what Sakura knew. As far as she could remember, he was a test subject that escaped the burning hideout with Sasuke, and helped in saving her from the snake's pit as well.

The more her mind traced back to Sasuke, the more she began to scan their surroundings, it was more apparent that Sasuke wasn't even there.

"Do you and Sasuke have history together?"

Suigetsu's question made Sakura's mouth gape open and her mind fall to a whirlwind of memories. The constant protectiveness, his need to prove he was the alpha at all times, and the more recent run-ins with him made it all too clear why Suigetsu would ask.

"Why do you ask?" Sakura covers her voice in a protective shell, fighting to not give away the shock that stirs in her belly.

"He just acts differently when he's around you," the white haired man recalls. His violet eyes wander to the walls of the cave-like structure, like they were trying to remember something that happened awhile back. "When you're not around, he's quieter, more laid back yet still demanding. And when you're around, he gets really protective and it's like a wall builds up around him, yet you're able to break through it."

Sakura's emerald green eyes watch as Suigetsu's eyes find their way back to her. She can feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest while listening to his reasoning. It's not like she hadn't noticed Sasuke's changed attitude whenever she was around. But the way his eyes looked at her compared to anyone else is what really caught her attention, told her stories that weren't meant to be told, showed honesty.

Sakura's mouth opens, and she meant to speak, but nothing came out. Her heart continued to hammer within her chest while her fingers began to tremble.

She loved Sasuke, she still does, but there's something darker, different about him that gives her a sour taste in her mouth and makes her bitter towards the entire picture.

"We were once on the same team," Sakura spoke quietly as she watched the flickering flames. As much as Sakura didn't want to delve into her memories and fish through her thoughts, she found comfort in telling Suigetsu. He deserved to know what Sakura's and Sasuke's relationship consisted of if the three of them were going to travel together.

"We would spend days together, nights together while out on missions. Our team learned a lot about team work, so we've always been a really close squad."

She felt her composure slip while the truth from her voice began to fade. She wouldn't open up to Suigetsu, not yet anyways. They had just met after all, and although he reminded her so much of Naruto, she still needed to let their friendship and trust build up before he knew the real story of Sasuke and Sakura.

Memories of a cold night and salty tears always remained in the back of her mind. It was a night she would never forget, and never openly talk about, for it was a private one meant for two young souls and the honesty that transpired in that moment.

"That's all?" Suigetsu's inquisitive voice pulled her from that long lost memory and when Sakura was meant by concerned filled eyes, she nodded slightly.

"Yes," she coughed out, fighting the tears that threatened in the base of her throat. "He was like family, him and the other two."

And it was when she said the word family, that she remembered her parents back home and how worried they must've been at this point in time. A grim expression overtook her features and then she decided to remove herself from their shelter for a breath of fresh air. Before she reached the exit, the electrifying presence of Sasuke was made apparent from the second she stepped out.

She kept her eyes on the ground as she walked by Sasuke, but she could feel his smoldering, dark eyes upon her the farther away she moved. His presence was overwhelming as it washed over her like a wave, drowning out all of her senses.

"Like family, huh?" His voice was dark, low and dangerous.

Sakura didn't like the way he said it and it made her stomach churn with anger, but she refused to look back. Refused to entertain his sick and twisted demon with a retort to fight and argue.

"Tch," the scoff only awakened her temper, riling her up and causing the hairs on her neck to stand on end.

The air was brisk and intense, while the sun began to paint the sky in a faint milk and honey color, creating the morning skyline. Sakura swallowed hard, her heart in the pit of her stomach, and just as she turned on her heel, Sasuke had her forearm in his hand and backing her up. His face was inches from her, his dark and wild eyes focused on her own.

There was temptation written on his face, while his lips were still in a firm line. The dangerous look that he gave her caused both excitement and fear to bubble through her veins, yet anger was the winning emotion. Sakura planted her feet and stopped the two of them, while Sasuke kept his grip on her arm, the corner of his lip pulling into a smirk.

"What do you want from me?" Sakura growled out, her voice low and filled with venom.

Sasuke was dangerously close, much like when his body was pressed against hers, tempting her to give into his wants and needs, yet she remained strong. This wasn't Sasuke and she refused, _fought_ to give him exactly what he wanted.

"Why are you lying? You know we aren't family," he snarled, his breath hot against her neck and his grip tightening around her arm.

Sakura wanted to punch him, push him away from her, fight for her freedom and get the hell away from Sasuke. He was a dangerous man and she was playing his dangerous game, but she knew better than to give in and oblige to everything he wanted.

"You had everything and you gave it all up," Sakura spat back, her voice rising with anger and eyes burning lividly.

"I lost everything in that village, Sakura."

His words hurt, pierced through her heart and caused the built up wall around her heart to crumble and fall. _That_ was the real Sasuke, hurt and scared. She could hear it in his voice, his plead for help and the way his eyes softened when he said that single sentence spoke of honesty and for once, she was looking at the real Sasuke.

Like in her dream before they left the hideout, it was Sasuke, pure and real. His eyes were dark, yet filled with deep amber flecks that sparkled with sadness and Sakura could feel just how strong his magnetic pull was. He needed help, _her_ help. Not just to defeat Itachi, but defeat his inner demons as well.

His grip finally eased up and when Sakura looked to her arm, no marks were left behind. His eyes were stone cold, his face stoic and expressionless as always. Sasuke had returned to his usual, closed up self. When he turned his back to her, she saw the Uchiha crest between his shoulder blades. Her hand reached to the back of her own shirt, and the faint stitches felt from beneath her finger tips made her heart break only the slightest.

She knew exactly why he took his emblem back, and that was once again to protect her.

And she hated every little bit of it.

 **. . .**

Sasuke's emotions always fed his inner demon, begged it to continue to talk to him, because if there was any truth in the world, it came to him in a low and hoarse voice, whispering like death, cold and forgotten.

When he finally decided to leave their shelter and rid his body of build up emotions, it was then that he felt like himself. Sasuke felt free, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he inhaled the fresh, pine scented air and rich soil. The rain had finally stopped, but spontaneous flashes of lightning lit up the field, while thunder roared overhead.

The scene reflected how he felt, a raging storm that would take on everything in a torrential downpour.

He ran a hand through ink black hair, inhaling deeply and holding his breath while he listened to the rolling thunder and dripping water. Everything always came to life after a storm, and although his team was asleep, he felt ready to take on anything.

Sasuke made his way back towards the shelter, wind tousling his rebellious black spikes. He could see the sun begin to poke up over the horizon, it's off white yellows and deep reds making it apparent that night was breaking and a new day would be born. The stars overhead twinkled lightly now that the clouds cleared off in patches, and Sasuke's obsidian eyes caught sight of one of the brightest.

He was close to the shelter now and the voices of Suigetsu and Sakura could be heard from inside. Their soft tones rubbed Sasuke the wrong way, his skin began to crawl and his eyebrows pulled together. The feeling of freedom he felt seconds prior had vanished, and he became a slave to his emotions once more. The flickering light was hardly visible, but he stood perched outside, his ears perking up to the soft slurs of Sakura's voice.

She was answering a question that he already knew the answer to, yet he remained concealed, listening to her reasoning.

"He was like family, him and the other two."

The words were like poison, venom soaking through his skin, toxic cutting through muscle tissue, acid dissolving his bones. Sasuke felt sick to his stomach, knowing that Sakura was lying through her pearl white teeth. She may be the most intoxicating female to walk this Earth, but to sit there and lie about her feelings towards him? He felt disgusted, angry, outraged.

 _She's a liar too. How perfect._

And there was that voice again, reminding him just how much pain he would have to endure for the rest of his life. Sasuke remained where he stood, his feet planted firmly to the ground, but when he felt Sakura coming closer, the blood in his body flooded to his head, ringing out all of his senses and feeding his anger.

When she exited, she didn't so as much look at him, only walk on by with her perfect pink hair swaying with each step, and olive green eyes on the ground. Her movements fired him up even more, and the farther she walked away from him, the angrier Sasuke got.

"Like family, huh?" Sasuke barked at her, his onyx eyes staring into the back of her head. He could feel his nails bite into the palms of his hands the tighter he clenched his fists. Sakura remained quiet the more she walked, and her attitude amused him.

"Tch," the scoff was viscous, his tone cold. Sasuke shook out his wind tossed hair and started towards her.

He was pissed, curious as to why Sakura would lie about _them_. She admitted her love to him, begged him to stay, and even when he didn't do that, she asked to go with him. The memory was carved deeply into his mind, a reminder that haunted him along with his late family every night.

His hand found Sakura's arm and turned her towards him.

She smelled sweet, her hair whipping around and the ends tickled the tip of his nose, the faintest scent of vanilla invading his nostrils.

And here she was, fire in her eyes, a stern look painted on her face. Her nostrils flared violently due to how angry she was, the short inhales and exhales sounding between them as she narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want from me?" Sakura was angry, and he could see the disgust in her eyes.

Sasuke knew he was a monster, that Sakura deserved an explanation, but he would never give her one. He was too selfish and self-centered to show her how much he cares. Her words were like a knife, digging into his abdomen and turning slightly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed much like hers, his mind growing numb from all the thoughts and blood rushing to his head.

"Why are you lying? You know we aren't family."

Sasuke could feel himself getting riled up, getting the reaction that he wanted from Sakura. Her green eyes always looked beautiful when she was angry, but when it was directed at him, he couldn't help but love that look in her eyes. He could see the red in her cheeks, the tips of her ears glowing with a shade of red as well due to her growing temper.

His hand tightened around her arm, the tension between the two rising, yet the atmosphere was completely calm. There was no more thunder from overhead, no more flashes of lightening, or falling rain in the distance. The only thing that could be heard was the silent chirping of birds, and small bugs making noises.

"You had everything and you gave it all up," Sakura's voice was low now and her eyes a softer shade of green. The truth in her voice sent pins and needles into his arms, making his legs feel like they could give out at any second if he didn't properly readjust his emotions and remain stern.

Sakura was a stubborn girl, she annoyed him, drove him nuts. But she also anchored him back down to Earth when he felt he was going too far away, creating a stable ground for him to come back down on. Before he could think about what he would say next, the words were already falling from his lips.

His heart was speaking for him.

"I lost everything in that village, Sakura."

Before Sasuke could see her eyes tear up and her parted lips, he was turning his back and walking away from her. It's what he did best, and the idea still haunted him.

He had lowered his wall, let Sakura take a peak into his life and know the truth behind his words. The truth as to why he left, and why he would never, _ever_ return to such a horrible place.

He deemed the Village Hidden in the Leaves his own personal Hell, and that was a place that he loathed.

Suigetsu was still in the shelter, his arms stretched behind his head and his eyes closed. The man looked comfortable, but they were past their hours of staying and needed to continue heading towards the next hideout.

"Get up, we're leaving," Sasuke called out, and to his alarming voice, Suigetsu was on his feet, his sword attached to his back and his head nodding curtly.

He didn't so much as glance towards Sakura. He was beyond annoyed with her stubborn attitude and beautiful pink lips. It was all he had to keep his eyes on hers while she tore him apart and exposed him for what he was.

He'll always blame Sakura for tearing him open and showing her things he's never shown to anyone. Sasuke found that his mind was distracted with Sakura constantly being on it. He knew he should've left her at the hideout, or behind when they left.

The sick feeling in his stomach continued to gurgle the farther the trio traveled. Suigetsu was silent, along with Sakura, but he knew Sakura wouldn't so much as look at the white haired man, acknowledge his questioning looks and awkward head gestures, yet Sasuke knew what was going on behind him.

 _Quit thinking about her_ , the order in his head trailed his thoughts away from a pink haired girl with stunning green eyes.

The demon was right, it was time to get his head on straight and accomplish what he came here for.

 **. . .**

Sakura's mind was like a wild fire, her anger growing the more they traveled in silence.

It was day now, the sun shining happily in the sky while the rays of golden light bathed their group in warmth. She found it ironic how it was storming only a few hours ago, and now that her and Sasuke were both in shitty moods, the weather was happy go lucky.

The air was thick, the mountains tall and peaks stabbing into the clouds. Sasuke had led their group in silence for the remainder of the day, that damn Uchiha crest teasing her while he moved in fluid, swift movements.

Her green eyes stayed focused on the bobbing of his spikes, something she would focus on as a genin when they would travel and go on missions. There was just something about his wild hair that relaxed her, calmed and soothed her growing anxiety and frustrations and brought her back to Earth.

When Sakura exhaled deeply for the first time that day, she shot a glance towards Suigetsu, and it was there that she saw concern filling his beautiful lavender eyes.

She hadn't noticed the light blue tint in his hair, or the way his skin shimmered in the sunlight. He was somewhat different, yet gorgeous at the same time. Instead of looking away, she offered a gentle smile. Much like Naruto, he smiled a grin, ear to ear, right back at her and his shark-like teeth reminded her that this man wasn't ordinary of any sort.

After what seemed like hours of traveling, Sasuke finally halted his pace and stood at the opening of cave.

The mouth was large, a cool and ominous breeze filtering out of it and much like their previous hideout, it smelled of blood and rotting bodies. Sakura shot a nervous glance to Suigetsu, but he shrugged, his hands folded behind his head as he stretched his back out and continued to follow Sasuke into the darkness.

There were no sounds, no calls of misery from this hideout, but it was eerie and quiet enough to make Sakura think that they'd be ambushed at any second.

The walls were painted in purple, torches lining the walls while dim lights hung overhead. The ground was moist and cool, moss growing around the edges that lined the floor and bugs scurried along the tiles.

Sakura's senses began to pick up at the faintest pulse of chakra, and her heart began to hammer against her chest. It was unlike any chakra she had felt, monstrous almost.

"Well, well," it was a female voice, hiding in the shadows towards the end of the room that they had entered.

There was a slight glint due to the movements, but when the body emerged from its place in the shadows, it was clear that this woman was anything but normal.

Her hair was a fire red, wildly out of control on one side, while the other remained bone straight. Black framed glasses fitting perfectly along the bridge of her nose, and her eyes matched her hair, almost perfectly. The deepest shade of red that shimmered in interest.

The smile that painted her thin lips caused Sakura's nerves to scatter, her brows pulling together and her arms to cross.

"Karin," Sasuke greeted, his posture straight and perfect.

"I was wondering when you'd come visit, _Sasuke._ "

Sakura's mind was in overdrive now, her emerald green eyes flaring with anger and her breathing quickening. She felt her heart tie in knots from inside her chest, while her stomach pulled from the inside, threatening to come out from the sickening way that this 'Karin' spoke to Sasuke.

Again, the monstrous chakra that pulsed through the hideout from earlier distracted Sakura's mind and caused her to jump, her hand instantly reaching for a kunai from her holster, but it remained empty.

"Oh, calm down, _little girl._ "

Sakura's eyes found their way back to Karin, her muscles tensing and she exhaled sharply. She felt the blood in her body go cold, freeze over with ice at the snarky remark and nerve of this woman.

"Excuse you?" Sakura found herself hissing back. Her claws were out, and her temper completely bubbling over. If this woman was joining their squad, she'd end up with a kunai at the red head's throat.

"I said calm down! It's just Juugo, jeez, chill."

Sakura inhaled deeply, her fists squeezing tightly and her head lowering. It was when Suigetsu laid a hand on her shoulder that she pulled herself from her thoughts and point of anger that she looked away from Karin.

"Don't mind her."

And he was right, she shouldn't let some girl she hardly knows get under her skin. Sakura closed her eyes and looked away from the red head, her mind clearing and temper fading. Although the ice remained in her veins, she was no longer upset with Sasuke or his words from earlier. She was curious as to what this girl meant to him and who exactly was Juugo?

"I've got a question for you, Karin."

It was Sasuke again, his voice low and deep, still. Sakura's eyes flashed back to him, her mind still running wild with fantasies as to what he was going to ask her. She could feel her heart in her throat now as Sasuke made his way across the room and towards the woman. She didn't like the look in those red eyes, or the way she held her body with Sasuke so close.

The two walked out of the room, their backs the only thing visible as they made their way down the hallway and away from Sakura and Suigetsu.

And along with Sasuke went Sakura's heart. She felt her eyes wide with fear, her body tense, bones go fragile, and muscles go limp. Sakura remained next to Suigetsu, her only friend in this world of rogue nin, and his comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You weren't just comrades, were you?" His gentle voice spoke up.

The question startles Sakura, but her walls are down, the fight in her body gone.

"I love him," she admits.

And it hurts to open scarred over wounds, but it's there and it's real.

She loves him. She always has.


	7. Challenge

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Soo, extra points to whoever tells me what color Juugo's eyes are. xD I'm struggling and I can't tell if they're like orange or what, but someone PLEASE: what color are his eyes? Whoever answers will get imaginary points and be my bestest friend ever ;) anyways, another long chapter. I hope it's not boring! Don't hate me for this chapter, things happen for a good reason! ;D Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy and let me know what you think so far? I appreciate all of you reviewing with kind comments and words of encouragement AND to those following/favoriting this story! It keeps me going, really it does! *blows kisses to you all*_

 _p.s.- I was in the process of moving to a new home while writing this, so if I missed some grammar related problems, I will fix them once I'm all situated :) have a lovely week & I'll update next Monday!_

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart**  
Challenge_

* * *

Karin's words towards Sakura really irked Sasuke.

He knew Sakura was anything but a little girl, but a kunoichi who had proudly worked her ass off and deserved to be respected. He could feel his onyx eyes harden with anger the more Karin talked, and instead of reprimanding her in front of everyone else, he figured it was time to end the discussion.

Now, the two were walking down the hall. Karin continued to talk, waving her arms in the air as she told Sasuke of how her and Juugo had escaped months ago. They were now in this hideout, one that had been abandoned and yet she was shocked to know that Sasuke came here first, before any of the other hide outs.

He rolled his eyes as her voice continued to grow into a higher pitch. He could see it in her red eyes, the seductive look she gave him behind the clear lenses that sat atop her nose.

"What was it you wanted to ask me, Sasuke?" Karin was suddenly switching gears as they entered a room, and Sasuke noted that this must've been her office.

"Before I start, don't treat Sakura like she's scum."

Karin's face grew pale as her mouth dropped open, her burning red eyes narrowing in as her fists clenched. She didn't heed to Sasuke's warning, instead she continued to push his buttons.

"Who is that little pipsqueak, anyways? If you ask me, she's useless. I sensed you from miles away, and that little twerp with you is nothing but baggage-"

Sasuke's hand was against her chest as he pushed her back against the purple wall; chipped paint attached to Karin's shirt while other pieces got lost in her fiery hair. She let out a short sob, before her lips pulled into a malicious smile, "my, my. I didn't know you liked it rough."

Although she wore courage and seduction on her perfectly framed face, he could see the fear swirling in her eyes. Sasuke pressed his hand harder against her chest while he inched his face closer to hers. He could sense it now, her chakra blazing from under his hand as he breathed heavily against her bare neck.

"I'm serious, Karin," he warned, his obsidian eyes melting to blood red.

Her chest moved slightly from under his hand as she swallowed, her heart beating like rapid fire. Karin's head finally nodded and the smile on her face vanished, the pupils in her eyes dilating as he released her and took a step back. Sasuke could see her trembling fingers from his spot in front of her, and now that he had her attention, he'd continue with his offering.

"I need you to join us," Sasuke's words made her flinch, her eyes widening from their narrowed position.

"Absolutely not."

Sharingan eyes watched as she pushed past him, her shoulder bumping against his bicep as she took a seat in her chair. The papers scattered along her desk had notes scribbled over every single one, while one or two were blank.

Sasuke didn't say a word, only continued to watch her movements. He knew she would come around, say something if he willingly up and left, so he turned his back and headed towards the door.

"Wait!" She called almost immediately and Sasuke only rolled his eyes while he kept his back to her.

"Why do you _need_ me to join you? You've got little prissy - I mean, Sakura with you. What's so important that I come with?" Her stutter possibly saved her life. Karin also reminded Sasuke of Naruto, how he would act before he thought. The resemblance only made him irritated.

"You're a sensory ninja, aren't you?" His back remained to the red head, his voice bouncing off of the wall in front of him. "I'll need your skills in order to complete my mission. We'll be here for awhile longer if you decide to come with. If not, so be it."

The door to the room was only a matter of four steps away, and as he continued on his way out, Karin was already by the door and slamming it in his face. Her arm remained extended over the wooden door, her eyes burning with desire. It was apparent his warning from earlier did nothing to scare her away, yet she kept on at it.

The way her tongue ran slowly over the front of her teeth made Sasuke's face scrunch up while he came to rest his weight on one leg.

"Sure, I'll come with," she spoke in a low tone. Sasuke didn't like the way her eyes changed from burning desire to a malicious look. Hell, he didn't like the crackling atmosphere in the room that they stood in now.

He frowned at her before pushing her to the side and opening the door.

"Don't give me that look anymore."

And when he began to walk away, he knew Karin would continue with her seductive ways, especially in front of Sakura. Sasuke only inhaled deeply as he cleared his mind. He needed to quit worrying about Sakura as much and focus on his goals, return his mind back to the darkness in his heart and focus on his mission.

 **. . .**

Sakura's mind was running wild while her heart threatened to quit beating from the amount of stress and pressure she was putting it through. Suigetsu hadn't said a word, only rest his hand on her shoulder while she stared at the hallway that Sasuke had left through.

He hadn't so much as looked back at her, or let her know exactly what was going on. Instead, he walked away like he normally does when it came to her. She finally sighed and dropped her gaze, focused on her toes while she wiggled them slightly to shake the salt and pepper feeling away.

"Honestly, you can do better," Sugietsu assured her as he removed his hand from her and placed his body in front of hers.

He stood proud in front of her with a soft smile that turned his lips upright. His platinum hair blew slightly in the cool breeze that wandered the halls while the slight rise and fall of his chest moved slowly. His words were meant to comfort her, and as much as she wanted to believe ever single one of them, love wasn't an easy thing to shake.

It would take hold of you, control your life and boss your heart, mind and soul around. You'd lose yourself to the person that you're in love with, and if you lost that person who meant the world to you, your own world would come crashing down, crumbling into pieces and shattering the heart in millions of shards. Sakura, for one, knew just how true that was the night Sasuke left the Hidden Leaf.

Evergreen eyes focused on the way Suigetsu looked at her, his face like porcelain while his violet eyes shimmered from the dim lighting. She could lose herself staring into his amethyst eyes, but she knew that her and Suigetsu would never be. As much as a calming and soothing person he was, he had a back story and Sakura knew nothing of him.

"What was your life like?" She found herself asking. Sakura desired to change the subject from something other than her and Sasuke. If he was going to go off with other girls - considering the woman he just walked off with - then Sakura would take no part in his games and she'd walk right away. She may even take Suigetsu with her when she leaves.

"What do you mean?" He inquires.

The room that they're in echos as their voices bounce off the stone walls. The light crackling of the torches and eerie buzzing from overhead finally melt away from Sakura's senses as she focuses on the way that Suigetsu holds his chin when he thinks.

"Do you have any family?"

The light in his eyes sparks as he understands her question. He nods his head happily - again, reminding her so much of Naruto - and then settles his arms across his chest.

"I had an older brother!"

 _Had_ , Sakura thinks to herself. Had, had, had.

She fights back the next question in her head, but asks it anyways, "what happened to him?"

Anything to change the subject, but she felt bad that their topics remained on something sad.

"He was killed in combat," Suigetsu's eyes remained on hers, yet they softened. She knew he wasn't done speaking, so instead of pushing for something more, she waited in silence. "I loved him. Mangetsu was calm and collected. He had his shit together and he was always there for me, like any big brother should be."

Sakura's heart began to throb while her stomach churned. She could hear the melancholy in his voice as he died down from talking. They stood in silence while the atmosphere around them became quiet.

Too quiet for Sakura's liking.

She immediately pulled Suigetsu into a hug, embracing his body while she put her head over his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his back. She felt his strong arms embrace her as well, while his head finally slumped over her own shoulder. The smell that radiated from his silk haired smelled fresh, like a warm summer day by the river.

But Sakura couldn't focus on that, as the approaching shadow was made apparent when two, beast-like eyes emerged from the darkness.

Instead of releasing Suigetsu, she held her arm up, firm and tall and stopped the incoming blow.

The creature was a pale brown, his eyes a blood hungry yellow, while his hair framed his face with a fiery orange. Suigetsu remained put while Sakura kept her arm around his rib cage, her fingers gripping his purple tank top while her other hand held the hand of their attacker. Sakura could feel his breathing increase the second she stopped the humongous monster from splitting him in two, and when his warm breath fanned across her neck, his words were quiet.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Sakura smiled, her green eyes glaring into yellow orbs as she began to twist the arm in her grip. The cry from the beast was incredibly loud as she twisted harder, the chakra flaring up in her hand the more she concentrated there. When she finally released Suigetsu, he was turned and standing ready beside Sakura, his sword unsheathed.

From there, Sakura brought the beast to the ground, his squeals of agony echoing through the halls while he was pushed to his knees. From there, the curse mark that he had soon began to fade away and the pale brown that was the shade of his skin receded to an off white cream, and there kneels the man that had tried to attack the two of them.

Sakura kept a firm grip on his fist as he looked up to her with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his tone filled with pain. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

"How do you not mean to?! You just tried to kill me, you idiot!" Suigetsu was first to reply, his sharp teeth appearing from behind thin lips.

Sakura kept a firm grasp on his fist while the man's face began to grow pale, his tangerine eyes darkening from the amount of pressure she began to put his limb into. She remained fierce as she stood her ground in front of Suigetsu. The pain in her heart faded the second she sensed danger, and now that her nostrils flared with anger and her viridian eyes burned with a raging fire, her mind was set on protect, protect, protect.

"What's your name?"

"Juugo."

The choked out sob interested her, the name familiar because she had heard Karin say it many moments ago. Sakura narrowed her eyes and began to release some of the built up pressure in his arm. While she continued to release his limb, the color returned to his cheeks, his eyes lighting up and his face didn't hold as much pain.

"Why did you attack us?" Sakura's next question was blunt.

"Karin said we had intruders. I was doing my job and protecting the hideout," he admitted quietly, his eyes began to glow with hope once Sakura released him completely. She stepped away, her temper rising and anger coursing through her veins like crackling electricity.

She wondered if this is how Sasuke felt since he always seemed to be in a pissed off mood. The more intel Sakura gathered from Juugo, the angrier she grew. Just as she looked to Suigetsu, she began to stomp off down the hall, her face pulled into a menacing glare while her pink hair swayed with each aggressive step.

"Karin is _so_ done for," Suigetsu chimed in as he sheathed his sword. Juugo only looked to the shark-like man with a confused expression.

Sakura wasn't exactly sure where she was heading, but she would find Karin.

And Karin would explain exactly what was going on.

 **. . .**

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed as he watched Sakura's and Suigetsu's conversation carry out.

His heart hammered against his rib cage, breaking the gathered ice from the heat that welled up in his body. He couldn't feel the tips of his fingers, or the numbness in his legs as he watched Sakura converse with Suigetsu.

She looked at him like she looked at Sasuke, adoring eyes filled with fascination, yet a certain sadness always pooled into her evergreen eyes. And that was the exact same look that she was looking at Suigetsu with.

Sasuke remained with his form against the corner of the hall, his chakra perfectly concealed as his blood red eyes took over and his mind began to lose composure. He would rip Suigetsu's heart from his chest and belittle him in every way possible if the white haired man thought he stood a chance with Sakura.

Sasuke's mind ran wild with an out of the world imagination the more he watched Sakura. He thought their conversation had finally died down, but when he felt someone instantly behind him, he was flash stepping from his spot and appearing behind the man.

It was Juugo, his calm and collected face remained looking at the ground while Sasuke's form stood behind him.

"Juugo," Sasuke spoke calmly, concealing the anger and wild fire that roared through his veins. "Just in time."

The man still didn't speak, only stood in front of Sasuke.

"Karin had mentioned we had intruders. She said you'd deal with them if I ran into you," the mischievous smirk that twitched the corner of his lip up caused his eyes to narrow, peaking around Juugo and peering at Suigetsu.

The pair remained calm, but Sakura's face was saddened, her green eyes focused on the ground as Suigetsu remained the same. Juugo, on the other hand, was fired up and pissed off. Sasuke could tell from the way his body was changing and his chakra delved into a deeper, darker signature.

"We're interested in the girl, kill the man."

And with Sasuke's final order, Juugo was diving from the shadows, his sights on Suigetsu.

The Uchiha smirked a deeper smirk at Juugo's movements, his form turning monstrous and his attitude set to kill. But when Sakura pulled Suigetsu into her arms, it felt like his heart stopped beating, his world turning upside down.

Her arms wrapped firmly around his back, and his cradled her waist while his head slung over her shoulder and his white locks splayed down her back.

Sasuke felt disgusted. His anger peaking and his mind turning into a thunderous storm, like a whirling tornado was ripping through all of his thoughts and destroying his mind. As much as he wanted to give up on Sakura, he just couldn't.

And because he couldn't have Sakura, nobody else would, could, _ever_ have Sakura Haruno.

The pair stood there while Juugo closed in, in each other's embrace and it took all Sasuke had not to interfere. He retrained himself from bursting through Suigetsu's chest with the largest and most powerful Chidori he could muster up, and all of his power to keep his eyes off Sakura.

But he just couldn't.

And before Juugo punched through Suigetsu's back, the look and dominate smile that appeared on Sakura's face told Sasuke that the entire thing was a setup.

She wasn't actually hugging Suigetsu because she cared. She was hugging him because she was aware of Juugo's presence, and his incoming attack. When the orange haired beast swung his fist, Sakura's small hand caught him and kept him in place. She had a pissed off expression now, her emerald eyes glazing over with such a hard look that Sasuke could barely recognize her.

While she brought Juugo to his feet, Suigetsu remained with his arms around her waist, his head turned and lips moving near her neck. Sasuke couldn't see his god awful violet eyes, but if he did, he'd know that Suigetsu took this entire thing the wrong way.

As Sakura tamed Juugo's inner beast, she finally released his arm, her head cocked slightly and a pissed off facial expression melted into a complete utter and fierce livid expression. The ivory color from her cheeks faded, her eyes dark and brooding, and her petite body mustering up the strength to kill someone.

Sasuke's mind was calm now that she was no longer engaged in a hug with Suigetsu, yet he was still furious that another man had touched her the way he did. Now that Sakura was coming his way, he'd know exactly what was going through her mind, and she would know that her and Suigetsu, would no longer be friends.

And that sat well with him.

 **. . .**

From the moment Sakura stepped foot in the hallway, she picked up on his overwhelming presence. It irked her attitude and her anger, resulting in her walking right by him like she did earlier that day. From the look and feel of it, Sasuke Uchiha did _not_ like when people ignored him, and walked on by like he was nothing.

His hand was on her shoulder, guiding her towards his current spot in the hall. It was much darker in the hall than in the previous room, and when Sasuke laid his hand on her shoulder like he had, it startled every nerve in her body.

She was pressed between his body and the wall now, his hand resting lightly on her hip while his dark, dark eyes stared deeply into hers. The look in them showed that his guard was down, his walls obliterated.

Sakura remained silent though, only gulping down the saliva in her throat to rid the sand-like feeling that made it hard to breathe. She couldn't breathe with Sasuke being only inches away from her nose, his hand pressed firmly on her hip and his eyes staring into hers like a frightened cat.

His face was blank though, an expressionless pit, but his eyes told her everything. Sakura was losing herself looking that deeply into them, losing control of her mind while her body began to lean in closely to his.

His scent was intoxicating, welcoming and pulling her in. The closer she got, the more her mind slipped and before she knew it, their foreheads were pressed together lightly, and his breath was fanning lightly across her clavicle.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't get her legs to function when they began to buckle. Sasuke's other hand came to rest on her waist, his body pressed firmly into her own and her back pressed up and against the wall.

"Don't," his voice was low, his eyes hardening over and his grip around her tightening.

The word confused her, kick started her heart and made her entire body freeze. The blood that rushed to Sakura's ears flooded out the anger that had stored up in her mind, and she had completely forgot about Karin and how she was going to kill the red head.

All she could think of was Sasuke; all she could see was Sasuke.

He closed his obsidian eyes lightly, before opening them and revealing his spinning Sharingan. The deepest and most ominous color of red stared into her own viridian eyes, tomoes spinning gently while she remained under his weight.

Sakura knew everything with this picture was wrong; being this close to Sasuke, feeling this way yet she couldn't do anything.

When her hand began to trail up the fabric of his shirt, she could see the shock cross through his eyes, his body tense under her touch, yet he didn't stop her. He grew quiet, like he was holding his breath, and when she landed her fingers on the base of his neck, he snatched her hand from his body and held it in his hand.

Sasuke blinked slowly while Sakura's lips parted, her eyes glowing with fear now as Sasuke looked at her like a hungry animal.

"Stay away from Suigetsu," the command fell from thick lips. "He mutilates people when he kills them."

His lips were pressed against the shell of her ear now, sending warnings down her spine and causing her legs to tremble. If his body hadn't been pressed against her own, Sakura was sure that she would collapse. She felt weak in the knees, her heart pounding way too fast, and her head welcomed an oncoming headache.

She felt sick to her stomach from Sasuke's words, her fingers trembling while he kept her hand in his own, yet he didn't release, didn't pull back and walk away. Instead, he kept his lips against her ear, his breath trailing down her neck and causing her skin to break out in goosebumps.

Sakura felt like she was in a trance, her body under Sasuke's weight and she could feel everything but her consciousness. When Sasuke's arms began to snake around her waist, she felt him pull her in closer, his body overtaking her from the height difference, yet she felt like they fit perfectly together. She felt her eyes close finally once his arms finished snaking around her body.

Sakura's mind was on cloud nine the closer they got. She felt like this was unreal, but when she felt his own heartbeat as their bodies pressed firmly together, she knew she wasn't dreaming and this was real life.

She hoisted her body up on tips toes, her arms encircling around his neck and when she leaned into him, he only pulled her closer. His warmth wrapped around her, comforting her and securing her in place. The longer he held on, the safer Sakura felt in this pit of a place.

Finally, she opened her evergreen eyes, and to her liking, she saw Karin perched at the end of the hall.

Her face held worry, her eyes filled with fire and disgust while her shoulders hunched up and her hands balled into fists. Sakura smiled from her position, knowing damn well this was _much_ better than beating the red head to a pulp.

This was what kept her safe, anchored her down.

Maybe traveling with Sasuke wouldn't be too bad.

 **. . .**

Sasuke felt his composure slip, much like his arms slide around Sakura's waist and pull her in. He could no longer focus or use the energy to keep his walls up. His defense was down and his heart was beating rapidly.

She was like spring, warm and refreshing, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. Sasuke felt at peace with his mind, knowing all too well that this interaction between the two of them would be their downfall.

Yet they continued.

And much to Sasuke's liking, he could feel Karin's looming presence at the end of the hallway, the flare of disturbance once she wandered upon his intimate session with Sakura, but he could care less. He was breathing Sakura in, drinking in her presence and soaking up all she had to give.

If he could get her to trust him, then she'd work with him and listen to every command and order that he gave to her.

He couldn't get his mind off of how betrayed Sakura's jade green eyes looked when he told her the truth about Suigetsu. If he wasn't trying to get her wrapped around his finger, his lips would've curled up into a malicious smile while his eyes burned with victory.

Everything was going perfectly, and Sasuke knew it. Karin would quit trying to seduce him now that she witnessed this, Sakura would quit interacting with Suigetsu now that she knew the type of monster that he was, and the group would listen to him, and only him.

He felt relief wash over his body but when Sakura began to pull away, it was like she took a piece of him with her. He felt incomplete, cold, lost and confused when she was no longer in his arms, causing his flustered mind to lose balance because of how nice she smelled and how wonderful she felt.

 _Stupid boy_ , the reprimanding voice warned him. Sasuke didn't listen to it though, he was too distracted by how long Sakura's hair had gotten in the time that she was with him and away from Konoha.

"Come, Karin."

He knew that Karin would listen, and he also knew that she wouldn't be stupid enough to start a fight with Sakura after his recent talk with her. Karin was a slave to her heart and emotions and when it came to a challenge, she wouldn't back down.

Her footfalls could be heard and when she was close enough, Sasuke began to follow Sakura's trail, his eyes set on Suigetsu and the vanishing smile on his lips. He'd still need to deal with Suigetsu if he wanted the man to stay the hell away from _his_ Sakura.

The group of five now stood in the large room, each looking from one to another, except for Sakura. Her flushed cheeks and shimmering emerald eyes remained on Sasuke, and his onyx eyes on hers.

" _Sooo_ ," Suigetsu cut through the silence with his loud and obnoxious voice.

Karin was the first to react, her temper already through the roof and her voice louder than ever. "There's no reason to do annoying things or be annoying, shark boy."

Sasuke's dark pools remained on Sakura, yet his attention was on Suigetsu on Karin. They were both obnoxious and annoying, yet he let them continue.

"And who gave you permission to talk, four eyes?" Suigetsu shot back, his arms crossed nonchalantly while his lips pulled into a smirk.

"Excuse you?! I don't need permission to talk, considering this is _my_ hide out, you freak!" Karin's face was turning a lovely shade of red the more her and Suigetsu argued, and when Sasuke finally broke his eye contact with Sakura, he could see that Suigetsu and Karin were at each other's throats.

"That's enough," Sasuke spoke, his head pounding from an oncoming headache. He pinched the bridge of his nose lightly while Karin readjusted her glasses and Suigetsu shuffled with a glare on his face.

Juugo's eyes remained calm and on Sasuke, his face soft as ever and eyes glistening from the dim lighting in the room.

"Now then," Sasuke started. "I've already told Sakura and Suigetsu why I've wanted them to come with. I'm searching for a man, a man who killed my family and took what was rightfully mine. His name is Itachi Uchiha, and I'm going to kill him."

 **. . .**

Sakura felt her heart well up with sadness during Sasuke's explanation. He was talking in such a low and empty tone, that her own composure shattered alongside her heart. It had been a long, long time since she heard this many words come from Sasuke.

The more he talked, the more Karin straightened her stance, and the more he explained, the wider Juugo's eyes grew. Suigetsu's glare softened and he was listening intently to the Uchiha's words, but Sakura stood in such a trance that she could hardly hear Sasuke anymore.

She was focused on his lips, how easily they moved with each word, and how his body tensed up while explaining such a deep secret. She knew that Sasuke had loved his older brother at one point in his life, but after the massacre, he was left with nothing. Unlike Suigetsu, Sasuke absolutely despised his older brother and he would send the older Uchiha to the grave with all his pent up anger and hatred.

"So you want our help to kill your brother?"

Karin's question pissed Sakura off. She felt her skin crawling with rage the second the red head had asked such a stupid question. Sasuke's eyes only fell to the woman left of Sakura, and they looked like smoldering charcoal; hard and ready to ignite.

"That's what he just said. Maybe if you were paying attention and not fidgeting with your glasses," Sakura snarled. She was beyond annoyed. It was unlike her to act so catty towards a woman she didn't even know, but there was just _something_ about Karin that had 'challenge' written all over it.

Karin's cheeks flushed with an absurd pink, and she was rounding on Sakura with anger in her eyes and fists ready to fight. Sakura nearly scoffed, knowing all too well that she could put this woman six feet under if she actually gave a shit.

"I was asking _Sasuke,_ not you, you little brat!"

And there was just something with the way she said Sasuke's name that rubbed Sakura the wrong way once more that day. The longer they stayed here in this hideout, the more restless Sakura grew. She felt the walls closing in around her and the air escape her lungs when Karin had actually built up the nerve to hit Sakura.

She didn't so much as knock the pinkette one step over, and when Sakura's emerald eyes focused in on Karin's fiery eyes, all she could feel was the exploding anger in her body that was toppling over, and it was about to come out. Sakura crackled one, two, three knuckles as she turned her body towards Karin's, her lips pulled into a sadistic smile while fire and electricity surged through her body.

"You're not that scary," Karin growled, before she shook her fist out and relaxed her fingers.

Just as Sakura began to infuse chakra to her fist, the gentle voice of Sasuke entered her mind, the one word he said earlier.

 _Don't._

And she didn't. She stopped focusing her chakra to her fists, stopped turning her attention towards Karin, and remained planted to the floor. She didn't want to look at the red head, nor see the way she pushed her glasses up on her face, or the scared shitless expression that the woman wore. Sakura calmed her inner mind, her body, and grew quit under Sasuke's gaze.

"If you guys are all done now, let's get moving," Sasuke's tone was icy, annoyed and Sakura knew exactly why he was annoyed.

Because she annoyed him. She always had, and she still does.

When Sasuke dispersed from his spot in front of the four mismatched shinobi, Sakura took a seat on the ground against the wall, her back resting lightly there while her stomach gurgled. She hadn't eaten all day, and she felt her body growing weaker from the amount of energy she had wasted that day.

"Here."

It was Sasuke. He had four, long and metallic kunai stretched out towards Sakura while he looked at her with obsidian eyes. She felt her heart beat growing rapidly with how close he was to her once more that day, showing her that he actually trusted her enough to have weapons on her person once more.

When her hand reached to grasp the kunai from his, the faintest brush of skin against skin sent a small jolt of electricity through her body, reminding her just how dangerous Sasuke Uchiha could be.

"Thanks," she mumbled before placing the kunai carefully in her holster.

The rest of the group cleared out and that left only Sasuke and Sakura, alone in the room with Sasuke hovering over her. She felt powerless, drained of all her energy and when Sasuke grasped her by her arm and hoisted her up, she found his dark eyes with hers, and the same softness that he showed her earlier that day.

"Remember what I told you about Suigetsu."

"But-" she tried arguing back, tried to tell him that that wasn't like him and he wasn't that type of person, but the look in his eyes told her differently.

" _Sakura_ ," he warned with a low growl.

She remembered just how enticing his body felt against hers, the way he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her like he would lose her if she were too far away from him. Instead of arguing, she nodded slightly, emerald pools looking away from him and towards the entry way. The others were outside and waiting, and Sakura knew, that this is when their mission started.

This is when her mission would start; when she would save Sasuke from the darkness in his heart and the demon in his mind.

 **. . .**

Sasuke knew she felt empty without any ninja tools in her holster. He could see it in her eyes when they had been attacked, her hand fell to her leg and her fingers inserted within the pouch, but when she felt anything but cool metal; the fight in her eyes vanished a little.

He had snagged them from Karin's office. When she turned her back to him, he snatched them from the small counter that was off to the left of him. She wouldn't know though, because he knew for a fact that Karin wasn't a fighter.

But he was shocked to see her fist flying to Sakura's face and making contact with her cheek.

He felt instant anger, ready to interfere, but he knew Sakura could manage herself. He knew that Sakura would snap the red head in two, but she stopped herself and he envied her restraint. If it was him that was put in that situation, his attacker would've been lying dead on the cold floor.

Suigetsu and Juugo were obviously stunned, shocked and amazed to see Karin hit Sakura but neither of them said anything. They shuffled to the side and cleared some space for Sakura, knowing how the scene would play out.

When Sakura finally started to walk with Sasuke, he felt right with her by his side. As much as she distracted his mind from his goals, she was there and she was supportive of him.

The air from outside whistled through the winding hall, making it eerie and ominous, yet Sakura led the way through. Her pink tresses blew wildly with the breeze as her body welcomed the breath-taking rush of air.

She looked perfect in that moment. His shirt blowing freely, framing her body while her hair blew away from her beautifully sculpted face; high cheek bones colored in a pale ruby red, while the tip of her nose took on the same color. Her water lines were rimmed with a light trail of water on each eye from the amount of wind rushing through the corridor, but when she looked to Sasuke, his body went numb.

He couldn't restrain himself like she could. He wanted to push her up against the wall and steal a kiss, steal a piece of her like she did to him earlier. She made him feel alive, yet empty at the same time and he didn't know what that meant, but it annoyed him nonetheless.

Once they made it outside, the clouds that swirled around the peaks of the mountains had cleared out, and cast before them was the prettiest view of the entire valley. The five of them stood together, their heads turned towards the shining sun that hung high in the sky, stretching its ray of light and touching each and every tree, blade of grass, and rock that formed the mountains.

Now their journey would get hard. It was time to scope out Itachi, track him down, and kill him where he stood last.

Without another minute wasted, Sasuke led the way from the peak of the mountain. His group following closely behind and he never felt more alive, his electricity flowing rapidly through his veins while the demon inside fed off of his anger.

The last location that he had heard where Itachi had been seen in was one of the towns near Konoha, but definitely in the Land of Fire. His heart pulled strings in his chest, thinking that Itachi could possibly be on the move and heading towards Naruto to pull the demon fox from within. He shook off the bitter feelings towards his rival and best friend, knowing it wasn't Naruto's fault that Itachi was after him.

His mind skipped back to Sakura, wondering how well she would handle being back in the Land of Fire so soon after her abduction. He knew he would need to get through to her, make her want him and not want to leave his side again.

After-all, she begged him to take her with when he left Konoha.

Sakura would help him get to Itachi of course, and she would be there alongside him, because he plans on rebuilding their trust and stealing her heart away much like he had when they were younger.

She may not love him anymore, but Sasuke knew the easiest way to get what he wanted, when he wanted.


	8. Damaged

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Hey, loves. Thank you so much for being patient and sticking around! Sooo, I got lost on an adventure in the new Zelda game, Breath of the Wild! And I had the flu just recently too, so I'm really sorry about my absence. I'll also be going on vacation from this Wednesday - Sunday, so I will try my hardest to update on time next week! If I don't update on Monday next week, then I'm sorry and will update as soon as possible :) Anyways, back to the story._

 _This chapter is a bit shorter, so I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! And thank you to those for answering my question about Juugo's eyes - **Naelyn** , **Emily da great** , **EphemeralSakura** & **toffeemilk**! Y'all get points for participation and ily :) and thank you for the kind and honest reviews that have been left. Whether they're concrit or encouraging, I enjoy seeing what everyone thinks._

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Damaged_

* * *

Sasuke remained to himself the entire way through the rocky lands and once they reached The Land of Wind, he felt his throat constrict when Sakura stopped suddenly.

Their group had been traveling for two days straight now, each person conversing among themselves except for Sakura. She had been quiet since they left the hideout, and now that Sasuke actually looked at her, he could see the bags underneath her eyes and the pale shade that enveloped her skin. Jade green eyes blinked slowly while her body began to slump over. Her rose quartz tresses looked dried out and tangled unlike every other day that they had traveled.

Juugo, Suigetsu and Karin didn't notice the slight changes in Sakura's every day look, but Sasuke's eyes noticed everything.

When the others kept moving, Sasuke took it upon himself to slow their pace and regroup. Sakura looked almost drained of all the energy that she could muster up, and just as the group stopped, she began to transcend towards the ground.

Sasuke already felt his body moving, but it wasn't his arms that she landed in. The swift movement and a flash of red beat him to the collapsing body, and it was Karin who held Sakura securely.

"When was the last time she ate or had a drink of water?" Karin's voice was in a serious tone, and the glare that she shot Sasuke told him enough about the situation.

"Uh, not sure," Suigetsu answered, and when Sasuke thought about it, he wasn't quite sure either.

Karin clicked her tongue before pulling Sakura's body up, the pinkette's head resting lightly on her shoulder. The look in Karin's ruby eyes looked serious enough to inform Sasuke that the start of their trip was already resulting with a rocky patch.

"We don't have time for this," Sasuke mumbled to himself, but before he could finish his thoughts, it was apparent that the red head had heard him.

"You know what?" Karin readjusted Sakura's body so that the pink haired female was resting firmly on top of Karin's back. "You look at her with eyes that are sincere, yet when it comes to her health, you're more concerned about yourself. She's ill, and you're acting selfish."

Sasuke felt his eyes narrow at the red head, but she had hit him with a mouth full of truth. He could kill her, right here, right now if it wasn't for Sakura perched on her back. He felt it was time to stop somewhere and get some actual food and sleep, but only for Sakura's case.

"There's a place right up ahead," Juugo offered, his arm extended towards Karin, but she refused.

"I've got her," Karin hissed, mainly towards Sasuke.

Sasuke restrained himself from snatching Sakura from the angered woman, but instead of returning her anger, he began to lead them towards the direction that Juugo had mentioned. He felt his heart rate increase the farther he went, and if it hadn't been for Karin's quick wits, he would've continued moving the group ahead but with more ambition.

The time ticked by as they arrived at the small town up ahead. Just like Juugo had mentioned, it was small and rather trashed. Juugo was tasked with booking a room for the five of them, while Suigetsu was assigned to go purchase food from the nearby stalls. If he really was like Naruto, he'd be back with bags of food and a grin on his face.

Once Juugo got a small room, that left Sasuke and Karin to care for Sakura. The last hour, Sakura had broken out into a fever, while her body shook uncontrollably. The dark, violet bags under her eyes had grown to a pale navy blue while a thin coat of sweat covered her body.

"She's got chakra, I can definitely sense it," Karin stated as she cast a thin blanket over Sakura's body.

The pinkette continued to tremble as she laid on the makeshift bed. Sasuke's dark eyes watched as Karin ran a damp cloth over the girl's forehead and cheeks. He felt his mind begin to wander, thinking about how far he'd be if they wouldn't have taken a detour. When Karin sighed, he found himself back in reality and his eyes narrowing in on the red head.

"Was she poisoned recently?" Karin pushed her glasses up her nose slightly and when Sasuke nodded, she only frowned.

"I watched her retract all the poison, though."

"But did she get all of it?"

Sasuke looked back to Sakura now, his mind boggled as to why she wouldn't have gotten all of the poison out of her system. He bit down on his lip, thinking of what could possibly be done at a time like this. Time began to slip through his fingers the longer he sat there with the two girls, and when he finally pushed up from his seat, Karin caught his wrist.

"Look, I'm not sure what she means to you, but she could die if we don't get it out."

The snarky remark made Sasuke's heart shutter. What would he be without Sakura?

 _The avenger that you are,_ the voice from within his head replied.

Sasuke did everything to fight the thought off, but when he tore his hand from Karin's grip, he exited their room and made way for the nearby forest. He'd work out all of his frustrations and when he had the answer as to what he could possibly do, he'd return to their room.

 **. . .**

"Slowly... Sakura."

Sakura could feel her body trembling rather viciously and although she felt extremely cold, the sweat that coated her skin told her otherwise. When she opened her eyes, the last person she expected to see was Karin.

The red head had an arm around her back as the other kept the damp cloth to her forehead, wiping the sweat beads away.

"What's going on?" Sakura finally mustered up the strength to ask. She felt her own limbs ache as her stomach churned.

Although her body hurt like hell, she could also feel the muscles in her arm burning from within.

"You passed out. Sasuke said you had been poisoned, and I'm afraid that you might have some of that poison in your body still."

Sakura's eyes closed lightly over jade pools, and when she began to think back to the night that she retracted the poison, everything went blank. She couldn't remember, let alone think through all the shaking. Another thing that crossed her mind was why was Karin taking care of her, rather than Sasuke or Suigetsu? The memory of Karin's open palm flying across her cheek a couple days ago made her face tense up and her eyes open.

It was there that Sakura could see the Karin's sleeve was pulled up, revealing arm that had multiple scars that looked like bite marks. Not only were her arms coated in scars, but her chest, and neck, too. Sakura began to wonder what in the hell had actually happened to this woman to result in such things.

"It sounds weird, but I need you to bite me. We need to restore some of your strength in order to get the rest of that poison out."

The light headed and dizzy feeling came rushing back to Sakura as she looked to Karin's eyes. The fire that normally resided in her ruby eyes was gone, and replaced with a glazed over one instead. The red head didn't make eye contact with Sakura, though. She only offered her right arm to her.

Sakura didn't have the strength to hold herself upright, but with Karin's help, she was able to grasp the woman's arm firmly.

"You're sure about this?"

"Please don't ask questions," the red head responded, her dark, maroon eyes still on the floorboards of the room. Sakura only nodded softly before sinking her teeth gently into Karin's pale skin.

She didn't say anything, or even flinch, as Sakura felt the muscles in her body stop the throbbing trembling. Instead, she felt her heart began to beat a little faster, while her body perked up a bit. It didn't take much of Karin's jutsu until Sakura felt stable and well enough to finish pulling the poison from her own body.

When Sakura pulled away from Karin's arm, the red head was quick to pull her amethyst sleeve down over the newly added bite mark.

"Thank you," Sakura muttered before concentrating her chakra to her hand.

She needed to locate the poison, and while it had been a few days since she first got struck with the senbon, she knew it would be harder to locate than usual. Instead of scanning one area of her body, Sakura gave it her all and found that it was dispersed through her blood stream. She let out a sigh of defeat before taking the damp cloth from the bucket and wiping it across her hairline.

"I don't think I can get it all."

The amount of negativity in her sentence brought her hopes and spirits back down, and when Karin scoffed, she found fire in those red eyes of hers.

"Quit throwing a pity party for yourself. The longer you dwell on not getting it out, the more it'll spread through your body."

Sakura felt her ears perk up and her eyes widen at Karin's statement. While the two girls had hit it off wrong, she felt a bit of connection with this mysterious girl. Karin reminded Sakura of Ino; the temperament, the truth behind each statement, even their personalities matched all too well.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Sakura perked up and inhaled deeply. She took those words to heart, and when she began to concentrate the chakra back to her hands, she saw the grin on Karin's face.

With one huge sweep, Sakura could feel not only the remaining poison begin to move from within her muscles, but the energy that she had worked up, slowly ooze from each pore in her body. The sweat that coated her body earlier returned, but instead of a slight glaze, the beads of sweat ran down her body in copious amounts.

When the poison began to pull from her skin, she felt her teeth clench. The pain was surreal as it was torn from her own body, ripping from her muscles and detaching from her skin. When Sakura finally removed the remaining bit, she was falling back and into Karin's arms once more.

"Looks like that was the last bit of it," Karin assured her before placing the cloth back on Sakura's forehead.

Sakura couldn't even offer the fakest of her smiles as Karin placed her down softly. She felt her body aching once more as she closed her evergreen eyes.

She was exhausted, her muscles throbbed while her mind ran from one conclusion to the other, thinking of where in the hell Sasuke was at.

"Where is he?" She found herself asking. From one open eye, she saw Karin roll her shimmering, red orbs.

"Should be back soon."

The snarky tone that she took only made Sakura frown, but then again, this woman was much like Ino and even at that thought, Sakura felt her lips turn upwards.

"Thank you," Sakura finally spoke. It felt weird thanking a stranger that had slapped her not only a few days ago, but then again, Karin was there for her when nobody else was.

"Don't mention it."

The hesitation in the red head's voice told Sakura that she wasn't use to such words of kindness. The marks on her body also told Sakura that she had been through some shit, and even the temper and short fuse that she possessed told so much of Karin's story that Sakura found it ironic.

She would dig deeper into Karin's past, but for now, she felt Sasuke's presence entering the room.

His eyes looked much darker than they had the day before, and even his personality matched his eyes. He didn't say a word to Sakura as she laid on the bed, searching his face for answers.

His dark locks were coated in sweat - much like her own - and his arms and body were painted in bruises and marked with cuts.

"Oh, perfect."

It was Karin, except she sounded more pissed off than usual. Sakura didn't remove her eyes from Sasuke, though. Instead, she watched as his obsidian orbs narrowed and averted to Karin. Sakura picked up on the awkward tension almost immediately, and if it wasn't for Suigetsu and Juugo who just entered, she was afraid she probably would've witnessed Karin's death scene.

 **. . .**

"We're back!" Suigetsu called, his arms full of food and other assortments of items. Juugo simply walked in behind him with a small smile on his face.

Sasuke felt his stomach coil with anger as he finished his stare off with Karin, and when his eyes found Sakura once more, he noticed that she no longer had his shirt on, but the wrappings and whatever else she had on under the small sheet. He felt his anger bubble the longer he stayed in the confines of the room, and when Sakura began to stand up from her spot, Sasuke grasped her wrist and pulled her along behind him.

Once it was only the two of them, he noticed that Sakura still wasn't looking too well. Although the dark bags had lightened up quite a bit, her hairline was soaked in sweat, along with the rest of her body.

"What did Karin say?" He snapped.

Sakura's brows furrowed together before she pursed her lips and clicked her tongue. "She told me about the remaining poison in my body."

"Is it still there?" As much as Sasuke didn't want to know details, his heart had a mind of its own, while his mind did whatever it wanted.

"No," her response was short.

Sakura looked like her body was in pain as she wrapped her arms around her bare body and hugged herself. The sun was no longer perched high in the sky, but resting right on top of the mountains in the horizon. While the two of them stood on the stairs outside of their room, Sakura moved herself away from Sasuke's looming position and stood to watch the sunset.

He could see her body shaking slightly, probably from the amount of pain she had just endured, but when he moved closer to her, he could see that her body was tensing up. As much as he wanted to hold her and sooth her, he couldn't bring himself to do it. His mind wasn't in the right place, and neither was his heart. Before he could stop himself, he was pulling Sakura to his chest and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

It was there that he could rest his chin against the top of her head, and although she was covered in sweat, he wasn't any better. She felt good there, her body against his as he pulled her into his embrace and covered her exposed body from the world.

The thought brought back the memories of their first day together. She was coated in dirt, sweat, and ash and when he tried his hardest to refuse to give into his impulses, he was lead to viewing her flawless body.

"Why am I still here?" She asked softly before leaning deeper into his embrace.

Sasuke's heart rate quickened as he thought about the answer. He wanted her there with him for personal reasons, but he would never admit that aloud. Although he cared about her, he wouldn't give in to his feelings so easily, but Sakura was good at tearing his walls down and ripping his thoughts of revenge to pieces. He couldn't keep his composure when she was this close and inside of his mind.

Instead of telling her the truth, he didn't respond. Instead, he began to slowly move his chin from her head and position his lips to the shell of her ear. He wouldn't have noticed due to her already shaking form, but Sakura's arms and neck emerged thousands upon thousands of goosebumps when he placed a tender kiss to her ear.

She slightly moved her head towards his touch, allowing access to her neck and as the sun lowered behind the mountains in the distance, Sasuke's head lowered down Sakura's body until his lips landed on her clavicle.

Her small moans of relief was like music to his ears. The longer he kept his lips against her skin, the more she leaned into his touch. Sasuke could feel her taking another piece of his heart the closer he got. While his mind let off every alarm and signal, he refused to listen. Instead, he found his hands resting on her hips and pushing her to the side of the building.

Sakura was now turned towards him, their faces facing towards each other. This position was all too familiar to Sasuke, with Sakura between the wall and his own body. If he didn't stop now, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself later.

But his heart did the thinking for him at this moment in time.

He ran his fingers through pink tresses, his lips pressed firmly against her jawline while Sakura sunk deeper into his chest. Her small hands lined the small cuts and scabs that presented themselves on his chest, and just as he felt his lips trailing to the corner of her mouth, her slender fingers pushed through his raven locks.

He couldn't resist any longer.

Sasuke's body was on fire, his core in molten lava as he found Sakura's thin lips with is own. They were soft like her touch, demanding like her personality, but so right in every way possible. She was fire and he was ice, complete opposites, yet they became steam when molded together.

Her fingers entwined lightly in his hair as he pushed her harder against the wall, his lips matching the pressure as he pushed his face closer towards her. He felt deathly afraid, yet alive at the same time, and if he didn't stop soon, his emotions would consume him whole.

When Sakura began to snake her free arm around his back, Sasuke couldn't help but lift her from the floor. She did exactly what he wanted, and her back was now pressed to the wall as her legs wrapped around his back.

Both of her hands pushed through his thick, dark hair now as their lips began to part, his tongue entering her mouth.

Sakura was breathing heavily, but she wasn't the only one. Sasuke was losing himself in her arms, and just as his hand found the bare skin beneath her wrappings, he released her and regained his composure.

Sakura's feet found the floor in one swift movement and before she could shoot him a glare, Suigetsu's voice could be heard from just inside.

"I'm just going to check on them!" He continued to reassure his comrades.

And when he poked his head outside, the sly smile on his face was removed as he met the brooding eyes of Sasuke.

The Uchiha felt his mind racing while his heart soared inside of his chest. The faint feeling of Sakura's fingers gliding through his hair remained there as he imagined his hands against the bare skin of her rib cage.

"Food is almost done, if you're interested," the shark-like man offered.

Sasuke had noticed that both Suigetsu and Sakura had been indifferent since Sasuke's warning, and when Suigetsu left the two of them alone, Sasuke noticed that Sakura's gorgeous green eyes remained on the mountains in the horizon.

The sky was beautifully dark as it welcomed small, twinkling stars. The faint maroon that colored part of the sky began to vanish in the ocean of blacks and blues, and when Sasuke finally caught sight of Sakura's emerald eyes, he could've swore that he saw something other than curiosity there.

She looked victorious as she beamed, but she refused to show it. With a small wave, Sakura began to make her way through the door and towards the remainder of the group, but before she could vanish from the scene completely, Sasuke caught her arm once more and pulled her back.

He felt his heart bleeding while his mind was on fire. He didn't want to be this close to a girl that could bring his hopes and dreams down, much like she brought his walls and defense down.

Sasuke pressed his forehead to Sakura's before running his calloused fingers through her tangled hair.

"You can leave if you want. I won't stop you."

Sasuke felt weak as his words left his lips. He knew that he would see Sakura again if she were to up and leave in the middle of the night. It may not be on good terms, but he would see her again. The thought of her leaving scared him and the feeling felt unfamiliar, but it was something he hadn't experienced in multiple years. As he finally pulled his head back from hers, he watched as she entered the building, her eyes hardened over and her facial expression firm.

He left Sakura to her thoughts, while he left the building to face his own.

He was getting in too deep, and if it wasn't for Sakura, he would be one hundred percent unsure of his thoughts on killing Itachi.

The thing he wanted most at this point in time, though, was the girl that he left behind three years ago.

 **. . .**

"You're a damn liar. She wouldn't do such a thing," the ferocious voice growled.

The spark of life and fire from within sapphire orbs set the blonde haired woman over the edge.

"I'll knock you right through that wall if you so as say such a thing like that again, Naruto," Tsunade threatened as she kicked up from her seat. The patience in the older woman had completely vanished earlier that day when she received a note.

"Sakura isn't like that! She wouldn't kill innocent shinobi from another land," Naruto regained his composure as his and Tsunade's conversation carried on.

"That's the thing, Naruto. She wasn't alone."

Naruto's eyes widened as his heart sunk in his stomach. He knew exactly where this conversation was heading, and before Tsunade could say anything else, his head dropped.

"I'll find them both," the blonde promised. When he looked back to Tsunade, the fire in his eyes raged on, along with the chakra from within. "I'll bring her back. And if Sasuke hurt her, I'll kill him."


	9. Contemplative

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Hi... Kind of struggled with writing this chapter since it's transitioning to something exciting. Anyways, we're getting involved and going deeper into emotions andfeelings, so if it's a bit boring, I apologize. I hope you all had a great week, and I'm sorry for updating this so late!_

 _Reviews are lovely, and thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story. :) next update will be on Monday._

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart**  
Contemplative_

* * *

Sasuke didn't flee back into their quarters that night. Instead, he left himself for the night sky and breeze to take him and his thoughts away. The single particle of clothing that he grabbed was his cloak, and while he wore the hood over his head, his face was well enough known that he would be recognized anywhere he went.

The calming air that crawled through his clothing wasn't enough to ensure that his thoughts would return back to normal. Hell, his thoughts weren't normal before all of this transpired before him and Sakura.

One second his mind was set on revenge and ending anyone who stepped in his way, the next, he had Sakura's body pressed to his, their lips moving gracefully against one another. If it hadn't been for Suigetsu and his annoying disturbance, he wasn't sure what would've happened next.

Not only was Sasuke's mind constantly on Sakura now, but he just couldn't get her scent off of him. It lingered, tearing his mind to shreds and causing his heart to do the thinking for him now.

Was his heart in it to really kill Itachi? After all, that's why he sought out Orochimaru and left the Leaf in the first place - to gain power and end this torturous nightmare.

A low growl ripped from his throat as he continued his walk through the dimly lit town. He couldn't get his mind straight, let alone connect with him inner self anymore. Even the demon in his mind left him high and dry, making him think for himself for once.

"Hello, sir," the face that looked at him was an older gentleman, roughly in his sixties and sporting a head that speckled white patches of hair.

Sasuke didn't return his greeting, only nodded his head slightly before pulling his hood farther over his head, covering his smoldering eyes.

 _What am I doing anymore?_ It was a reoccurring thought that even he didn't know the answer to. Sakura was in his head, playing a dangerous game with his heart and he didn't like one thing about it.

He didn't have _those_ types of feelings for her. Fuck, he didn't even have those types of feelings for himself.

How could someone love someone like himself when everything he did in life was to get closer to his older brother, only to end his beating heart.

Sasuke came to rest his arms on the counter as he readjusted his body in his seat. Before he knew it, his head was resting on the tops of his forearms while his head began to throb from on oncoming headache.

He was overthinking, something he was phenomenal at. He didn't have it in him to turn back and find Sakura, rip her from her deep conversation that she was probably having with Suigetsu at this point in time, and tell her exactly what he was thinking. Sasuke couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't do that.

He was too selfish after all.

"On the house," the lower, huskier voice cut through his thoughts like a kunai, and when Sasuke peeked his obsidian eye out from his arm, it was a shallow glass of sake. He sighed deeply, refusing to lower his guard to drown his miseries in alcohol like he had seen many people in his life do.

 _To hell with it._

The burning liquid felt revitalizing as it soared down his throat, entering his stomach and sitting in the pit of his belly. He could feel the refreshing taste spread across his tongue as he set the small cup back down on the counter.

The man from earlier poured another and offered a gentle smile. Again, the liquid soared down his throat and joined what was already in his stomach.

If there was anything in this world that Sasuke needed, it was to cut his ties and be on his own. While his team was something he needed - Karin especially, mainly for her sensory skills - he could go out on his own.

Upon finishing his drink, Sasuke pulled his hood back over his head, concealing his signature black hair and brooding dark eyes. He felt the liquid in his stomach working its magic, easing his tensed muscles and soothing his overworking mind.

The night air was now cold and brisk since his body had calmed down from his lust filled moment with Sakura.

 _Sakura,_ he thought once more. No matter what he did, he just couldn't get her out of his head.

His thoughts about her entering a deep conversation came back to mind, giving his stomach a sick twist and his throat releasing a low snarl. Sasuke just couldn't get a break, especially when his mind came up with sick and twisted ideas.

He began his walk back to the place him and his team would stay for the night. He wouldn't join them for dinner, no.

He just wanted to be near Sakura and her glowing aura.

 **. . .**

No matter what Sakura did, she just couldn't tear her mind from the feeling of Sasuke's lips on her own.

His hands were strong, his hips felt perfect as her legs wrapped lightly around him, holding her in place against the wooden building. Once she calmed her breathing, she entered the room that Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu resided in. Suigetsu, of course, gave her a toothy grin while Karin didn't bother showing her a smile or waving a hello. Juugo simply smiled before grabbing her a bowl and motioning for her to serve up a dish of her own.

Whatever they were eating, definitely looked like soup, but smelled of fish. Regardless, she took the ladle and served herself.

Dinner was quiet, Sakura observed. Or was it just her, lost in her thoughts and disregarding everything that everyone said to her because she was self absorbed?

"Sakura!" Karin finally called, and Sakura knew that it was the latter.

A small groan came from her thin, parted lips as she made eye contact with burning, fire eyes.

"Get yourself together, you're zoning out and dripping your soup everywhere," Karin warned before pushing her glasses slightly up her nose. Sakura tried laughing the moment off, but knew all too well that she needed to pull herself together.

She had more important things to think about other than the Uchiha.

 _Remember, he left you when you were younger. Is it really worth it to help him with something so malicious?_

Her thoughts came in waves with each bite that she took. Sakura couldn't even recall the flavor, let alone the seasoning as she chewed her food slowly.

The more Sakura thought about their group tracking and finding Itachi, the more she thought back to when she had actually met Itachi when she was still with Naruto and Kakashi - or what they thought was the real Itachi, at least.

She placed her empty bowl on the hard table, the spoon clattering against the porcelain bowl and ripping her from her thoughts once more.

"Thank you for the food," she murmured before taking her bowl to the sink, rinsing it out, then taking her leave.

Her and Karin's room was small, but it was big enough for the two of them. She had nothing except her kunai holster that was fastened securely around her leg and the clothes that she wore on her body.

Her body ached slightly, due to the poison that her and Karin extracted earlier, but thankfully it had only been the slightest bit of poison and not some advanced technique that the Rock had stumbled upon. Whenever Sakura thought of poison, she was reminded of Lady Chiyo.

Sakura sighed softy before propping their single window open and shuffling her body through the small opening.

"Where are you going?" The soft voice caught her from exiting the room.

It was Suigetsu, his amethyst eyes filled with curiosity.

"For a walk," she lied.

"Can I come with?"

Sakura felt her stomach tilt, but instead of declining, she nodded her head slightly.

She didn't need Sasuke to play the protector in her life anymore. She was a strong kunoichi, capable of looking out for herself. Another thing that flustered Sakura about Sasuke, was that when he sensed another guy trying to befriend her, he felt it necessary to step between the relationship and stop it at all costs.

She rolled her eyes to herself before pushing through the window completely. She floated to the ground gracefully, her slender legs catching her in place while dust coughed up from the ground and encased her boots in a thin, powdery case. Suigetsu jumped from the window as well, his presence joining her on the dirt road below.

"Where to?" He grinned before folding his hands behind his head, balancing them there.

"Let's just walk," Sakura replied, her mind too lost to the thoughts to really care where the two of them ended up at.

And that's what they did. Suigetsu made small comments as Sakura led the way. He talked about his brother, how Mangetsu had taken it upon himself the raise not only himself, but Suigetsu as well. She found that her friend's stories made the concern in her heart and worry in her mind fade for awhile.

"Do you mutilate people before you kill them?"

Her hands flew over her mouth while emerald green eyes widened. Where the hell had that come from, and why so abruptly?

The sound that came from Suigetsu made her eyebrow raise.

"I have mutilated one person."

Sakura felt her heart rate increase. Sasuke hadn't lied about that part, but why did Suigetsu only say _one_ person? Sakura remained quiet as her hands fell slowly from her mouth and her eyes watching his lips turn to a smirk.

"I'm not proud of it," Suigetsu clicked his tongue. "But the man deserved it for what he did to my brother."

Sakura couldn't help but let her fists clench in anger. She felt tears prick from behind her eyes as she thought about Suigetsu's words and knowing all too well, that she would get revenge on someone who ever did anything to her family or dearest friends.

Her question didn't stop Suigetsu from his mouthfuls of conversation and small comments. That's what she enjoyed most about him, especially when she wasn't in the mood to talk, he would come up with his own conversations and not only entertain his own mind, but hers as well.

"Say, what's Sasuke like when he's not around any of us?"

She figured it was only fair for him to ask her a personal question now.

Her shoulders shrugged slightly while her mind processed the question.

What was he like?

Not even Sakura knew. He was hot and cold, confusing, stressful, angering. Yet he had found a way into her heart and wormed his way into every thought that she had lately.

"He's Sasuke," she answered carefully, knowing that Suigetsu wouldn't understand.

No one but Sakura fully understood Sasuke, yet he still found a way to get under her skin and get on every nerve that she had. He was infuriating, demanding, bossy, moody, but most of all, he had a heart underneath his thick exterior. It was hard to get through to, but in the moments that Sakura had seen Sasuke for what he truly was, it was like small pieces of her heart got chipped away with each interaction with the true Sasuke.

"Ah," Suigetsu commented in an understanding voice. Sakura could only smile and roll her eyes.

 _Just like Naruto,_ she thought to herself.

"If you could leave and go to the people you love most, where would you go?" It was Sakura's turn for asking a question.

The shark-like man didn't take a second to think. He clearly knew the answer long before she asked it. "I ask myself that every day."

She raised a thin brow in his direction before sucking her lower lip in to her mouth and sinking her teeth into it.

"What about you? You don't seem like your normal self. Do you still have some poison still floating around in your brain?" Suigetsu inquired before poking a finger gently to the side of her head.

She swatted his hand away playfully before laughing slightly. It was a trick question, and as Sakura's heart had been split in two, she didn't know the answer. Suigetsu had stumped her.

 _Mmm_ , her mind thought, a low hum coming from the base of her throat.

"You don't have to answer, I was joking," Suigetsu's voice cut her thoughts off. He was stopped in the middle of the road... Or what was left of the road.

Sakura hadn't realized it, but they stood at the edge of the town now. The chirping of bugs and songs of late night birds echoed through the trees of the forest, and along with it, the hushed sound of rushing water.

"Ready to head back?"

"I'm going to hang out for awhile. I'll see you in bit," Sakura smiled softly.

Her conversation with Suigetsu had eased her mind, distracted it from the constant anxiety that coursed through her thoughts. He put a stop to her overthinking mind and eased the tension in her sore shoulders. When her feet began to carry her through the damp grass, she followed her senses and made her way towards the river.

She unzipped her boots quickly before discarding them on the rocks that lined the small river. Next came her smooth, black leggings and underwear as she waded into the water, just to the bottoms of her knees. The pale moon that reflected in the rippling water illuminated it just enough to where she could see where she was walking in the flowing water.

She felt refreshed, eager to remove the rest of her clothing and wade out to the center where the water would come to rest just at the tops of her breasts. So that's what she did. She removed Sasuke's stained and dirty shirt, the obi that she felt uncomfortable in, and undid her bindings until her body soaked up the pale light from the darkening sky.

It was just her while the body of water enveloped her in its safety. She dunked her head back, allowing the water to take hold of her scalp and wash away the dirt, grime and sweat from days of travel. While their room held a shower, she felt more at ease by herself in the confines of the wild river.

While Sakura had plenty of thinking to do, she couldn't help but feel refreshed.

Where would she go if she had the choice - scratch that, she did have a choice. Sasuke said she could return to Konoha, but what she struggled with the most was actually leaving.

She missed her family, her friends, Tsunade and Shizune, the hospital, all of it. But was being here with Sasuke and witnessing just how much he changed and how differently he acted something she wanted to be exposed to for much longer?

Her damp hand came up from the confines of the water, running the liquid smoothly across her forehead to relieve the built up stress.

"Why is this so hard?" She asked quietly, looking to the flowing water in search of the answers that she didn't have.

Why did love make her feel something inevitably painful yet alive at the same time?

She didn't wait for an answer. Her body retreated to the safety of the water, her head tucking into the refreshing feeling. When her eyes closed and she held her breath, all she could see was black, yet her heart beat reverberated throughout her body.

Tonight would be a hard night to get through when she was lost in her thoughts.

Only love can hurt like this.

 **. . .**

"Where is she?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed at Karin. She returned a confused look, fire eyes wide with a worried look.

"She was in our room. That's where I saw her head to last," Karin admitted quietly, her tone unsure of what to say.

"Sakura went for a walk," Juugo spoke calmly as he finished rinsing the dishes and put them away. His large body turned to face Sasuke, sunset orange eyes content while Sasuke's burned with rage.

"And Suigetsu?" He snapped.

He felt his heart ripping in two, his patience diminishing to absolutely nothing while he waited for answers. It was apparent that neither of them knew exactly where that shark of a man got off to, and what bugged him the most, was that they had no idea where Sakura was either.

Angered flowed through him like a rushing river. He could feel his temper growing out of control and when he left the building he immediately began to search for any signature or trace. His mind was running at a million miles an hour, his body growing unbelievably hot while he searched the streets.

Minimal light was granted in this small, run down town and while Sasuke's blood grew hotter with each passing minute, he could feel his eyes melting to red, Sharingan activating.

He could see everything now.

He could even see Suigetsu with his arms behind his head as he walked towards Sasuke, a lousy smile and light blush on his cheeks.

Sasuke didn't make his move towards the bastard. He found his body stuck in one place while his breathing was heavy and ragged, chest falling and rising with anger. When Suigetsu finally made eye contact with him, he could see the twisted look in those violet eyes of his.

And he didn't like it one bit.

With a simple flash step, he had Suigetsu on his back in the middle of the street with Sasuke straddling him, his hand clenched tightly around his throat.

"Where is she?"

He hated that he became vulnerable whenever it came to Sakura.

He hated that she made him feel something other than hate.

He hated that he felt something for her that he had never felt for anyone else in his life.

The white-haired man's breaths were short as Sasuke tightened his grip, blood red eyes baring into amethyst eyes. Sasuke's mind ran wild with imagination now with what Suigetsu could've done with Sakura.

But then again, she could hold herself. There was no way in hell he could've taken Sakura on all by himself. Thought after thought, Sasuke continued to overthink.

The small gurgles that came from Suigetsu's throat amused Sasuke, but when his lips smirked, the shark-like man evaporated beneath Sasuke's hand, escaping his grip.

"Calm down, she's okay," he reassured Sasuke, but he only angered the Uchiha further when he slipped away from beneath him.

 _Walk away._

It was the demon, but Sasuke refused to listen. He wanted to end Suigetsu, put a stop to the friendship that was going on behind his back. What was Sakura doing? He had warned her what Sugietsu did to his victims, so why did she continue to push the matter further?

 _Stubborn,_ he reminded himself.

He felt like a caged animal now, begging to be released. He was trapped inside his own mind, bowing down to the shadows that crept through his soul and obeyed every order that he was given; he was a puppet to the darkness.

Sasuke could no longer concentrate. He was losing his composure, losing his mind and fighting his feelings.

He needed to kill Itachi. He needed to stay away from Sakura.

Since when did things become this hard in his life and his mind became easily persuaded by someone that he had left behind years ago?

"Stay away from her," he warned. As much as he wanted to walk away, he couldn't help but show that Suigetsu had no right to put his nose in their business.

The opposing male kept his eyes weary and alert as Sasuke began making steps towards him once more. The Uchiha couldn't help but notice the nervous fidgets Suigetsu did with his fingers the closer he grew, and as Sasuke passed the white-haired man, it was then that he spoke up.

"You've acted different since Sakura joined us. And it's not in a good way, either."

He ignored the words, kept on walking and let his mind grow cold with thoughts of his own. Sasuke knew he had been acting differently, more selfish and only wanting to take, never wanting to give.

Unfortunately, he knew that wasn't going to work out for him in the end.

"Just stay away," he muttered before continuing down the road.

He didn't need Suigetsu breathing down his neck and telling him what he already knew. He had his own goals, his own aspirations, and unfortunately, Sakura coming back into his life only made things difficult.

It wasn't that he didn't like her. He had feelings. He just didn't have the time at this point in his life, and if another guy thought that they would sweep her off her feet and carry her away from the Uchiha, then they thought wrong.

Sasuke pulled his cloak closer to his body, his hands clenching the thick fabric as he fought back every thought that he didn't want to think. His mind was a tornado; unstoppable and destroying everything in its path.

"Why is this so hard?"

It was Sakura, her voice quiet, tone distressed.

While his Sharingan was still activated, his head turned towards the direction that her voice came from and from the road, he could see her. Sasuke found himself on the outskirts of town, looking down on a girl who seemed just as confused and stressed out over her emotions much like himself.

She was naked, the pale moon reflecting off her silk, ivory skin until she dunked her entire body under the water. He hesitated slightly, stopping himself from rushing to her side and pulling her from the water's grasp.

But he didn't move.

He couldn't think.

Why was it that he couldn't bring himself to quit being selfish whenever it came to Sakura?

He found that in whatever open area the two of them were in, it was only her that he breathed in.

It was only her, and it would always be her.


	10. Awakened

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

Hello, lovely readers! I hope you had a great weekend, and a great week ahead of you. I present to you, another chapter :) I love how honest and sweet you guys have all been with your reviews, and I certainly love hearing from everyone. Really though, I'd like to thank you all for the constant support. Without you guys, I'd be nothing! So thank you for that! Another thing - find me on Tumblr at (roraewrites). During the week, I take requests and write one-shots, so if you'd like to read more of my stuff, it's all on there!

Anywho, leave a review, if you'd be so kind! Let me know what you think, enjoy this chapter and have a great day :) next update may be Monday, or it may be sooner!

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Awakened_

* * *

Sleep wouldn't come easily that night.

Sakura immediately regretted staying in the water for as long as she did. After being under for a minute and a half, her mind finally pleaded that she come up for air and quit the nonsense.

Deep breaths of air came rushing back to her lungs, filling her body and easing the panic in her mind as she brushed the water from her face and smoothed her sopping, wet hair down.

After minutes of running her fingers over the surface, she finally emerged. On went Sasuke's shirt, her leggings, the obi and finally her boots. Her walk back to their temporary home was short lived and before she could reach their place, she was shivering from the night's air.

Karin's eyes found Sakura immediately when she entered the room.

"Why are you soaking wet?" She asked, her voice hushed due to the late hour.

Why did she even get in the river? It sounded appealing at the time, but now that she stood tall in soaking wet clothes with her hair dripping water droplets, she had no idea why.

"I went swimming," Sakura admitted with confusion laced into her answer.

Karin only raised an eyebrow before nodding her head once, then once more in a slow manner. "Right," she repeated before looking back to the small notebook in her hands.

Sakura could see writing in it, and while it intrigued her and she wanted a closer look, she tip toed to the side of the room that her bed was on and stopped before lying down.

 _We're both girls_ , she thought awkwardly before removing the obi and the shirt. Karin seemed to be too preoccupied in her notes of some sort to give Sakura any mean looks or say snarky things.

Once the majority of her wet clothes were removed, she hung them on the window sill to dry out properly. Goosebumps began to cover her body as she shuffled under the thin blanket on her bed, and when Sakura turned to her side and closed her eyes, it was like stepping back in time.

She hadn't felt this sort of pain in her heart since the night Sasuke left her alone, but then again, she was older and moving on from that point in her life. Once she pushed her thoughts aside, Karin's sleepy voice woke her up.

"Sasuke was looking for you," she mumbled.

Sakura turned suddenly to the opposite side, her emerald eyes looking to Karin, who was still reading through her notes. The way she sat on her bed with her legs crossed and head leaning against the back of her hand told Sakura that she must've been studying a project of some sort. When she looked up from the page that she was currently on, her eyes caught the glimmer of the light, turning them the most exotic red that Sakura had ever seen.

"He went looking for you, but I take it he didn't find you, huh?

Sakura shook her head softly to each side. She honestly didn't care that he was looking for her. She was tired, done with the games, done with the heart break.

She had made her choice and come morning, she would prepare herself for the journey.

"You're awfully quiet. What's wrong?"

It touched Sakura's heart that not only Suigetsu, but now Karin were both concerned about her. When she first met the two of them, she thought they would be some psychotic monsters thanks to Orochimaru. But as their stories unfolded themselves, she found out that they both had very different personalities, but a caring heart deep beneath the surface.

"It's nothing," Sakura lied from beneath the sheet.

The red head's eyes didn't look away, she didn't blink, she only stared into Sakura's emerald pools. It started to make her feel uncomfortable that Karin could pick out a lie as easily at that. Sakura swallowed hard before she looked away.

"I've got a lot on my mind and choices to make."

Karin's eyes widened slightly as her head finally lifted from her head. She was now sitting straight up in her bed with her hands placed comfortably in her lap. Sakura could tell she was thinking of something to say, but the wondering shimmer in those red eyes of hers told Sakura that it would be anything but comforting.

It hurt her to see Karin's face twist into a painful expression, but it didn't stop her from sounding perfectly normal. "You know you're not the only one who's got a lot on their mind and you're not the only one that has choices to make, right?"

Karin's eyebrows raised a little, and her throat tightened as she continued. "It's obvious that he's torn on what he wants to do. One second, he's worrying about you and thinking of ways to help. The next, he's freaking out because you're gone and he doesn't know where you're at. Don't get me wrong, I have feelings for him. I love him and it hurts me to see him like that."

Sakura turned to her back now, her eyes resting on the ceiling as Karin's confession grew a bit louder. She continued to listen to the red head. It set her mind apart from all the jumbled thoughts in her head and it felt good to know what was going on in someone else's mind for a change.

"Just please, don't hurt him. He's already been through enough hurt in his life."

Although Karin didn't know half the shit about Sasuke like Sakura, the red head sympathized the Uchiha. She didn't pity him like every other girl who had a crush on him did. Yes, she had feelings. But did Sakura actually feel a connection between the two, or was Karin the one that always tried when it came to Sasuke?

Regardless, Sakura nodded her head before closing her eyes. The dim light that leaked in through the slits in her eyelids faded when Karin turned her lamp off, allowing both of them to turn their minds in for the night and relax for once.

The only thing Sakura could hear were her words of truth.

Sasuke had been through enough hurt in his life. But what good was Sakura when it came to helping someone who didn't want her help?

She closed her mind off to the patronizing thoughts and pestering feeling in her chest.

Tsunade trained her better than this. Sakura needed to remain strong and prove to not only herself, but to everyone around her that this type of shit didn't get her down that easily.

"Sakura?" It was Karin's voice once more. Sakura kept her face turned towards the ceiling, but she opened her viridian eyes.

"I don't mean to come off as rude, I've just never really had to experience this whole 'friends with another girl' type of thing. It's not that I don't like you," her voice hesitated slightly, causing Sakura's brows to furrow and her head to turn.

"I've just never been exposed to something like this."

And with that, Karin turned her body away from Sakura. It wasn't before Sakura saw the smallest of tears in the corner of her eye, before she had her back towards the pinkette.

Sakura inhaled deeply before turning the opposite direction from Karin and closed her eyes once more. She felt something transpiring in her mind for Karin and it wasn't that the girl was bad, she just didn't have the experience of having a girl be close to her.

Her mind instantly flashed back to Ino.

 _Ino-Pig,_ she scoffed to herself before letting her mind fade to sleep with a smile on her face.

She knew she could get through this, one way or another.

 **. . .**

Sasuke felt alive when it came to a night like this.

He decided it would be easier on him if he let his heart open up to Sakura, and not just on a friendship level. He faced his emotions head on, clearly acknowledging that not only had Kabuto and Orochimaru abducted her from the Village, but now she was traveling side by side with a boy she spilled her heart out too years ago.

She was confusing, none the less, but Sasuke felt it in his iced over heart that he would at least _try_ to understand her feelings.

Sakura was a tricky type of girl. One minute she could be the most selfless and caring girl in the world, the next, she could be moving mountains and destroying everything in her wake. The thought made him smirk as he laid against the roof of their home for the night.

He didn't want to be anywhere near Suigetsu, yet as close as possible to Sakura. The push and pull had a huge impact on his mind, but if he was doing the right thing, he'd stay as close as he could to her.

Sasuke couldn't help but observe her while she was on her own in the river. The way her body disappeared beneath the slow current, how her hair flowed slightly, and when she emerged from the confines of it, she looked absolutely stunning.

He had to hold himself back. If he approached her, they would start another round of _why are your lips on mine and this feels so wrong, but you feel so right._ He just couldn't afford to put his mind through the grinder anymore.

It was apparent that Sakura was staying, or else she would've left him already. Needless to say, the anchor over his heart faded and he could breathe with ease. He didn't feel his mind coming up with a million different thoughts at once anymore.

Sasuke just needed to be patient and understanding as possible when it came to Sakura. Even then, she'd help him conquer Itachi.

Even after that, what would they do? He couldn't return to the Village with her. Both of them would be killed within a matter of seconds, considering the two of them - or at least the Uchiha - were traitors to the Leaf.

 _You're doing it again._

He was reminded almost immediately. He sunk in on himself, reminding himself that he was of the great Uchiha clan. Being calm and composed at all times was something he was well known for, but lately, he was losing his mind.

Day after day, his mind slipped farther into his own personal Hell, all while Sakura stayed nothing but smiles and words of knowledge.

The stars overhead twinkled in silence while clouds sailed smoothly over them. The morning would bring their continuous adventure and that's when Sasuke would make it clear that he had obvious feelings for Sakura.

That's when he'll make it clear that she's his and no one else's.

Sasuke was finally facing the fact that he was selfish and only cared about himself, but now that Sakura was around, he needed to act more like her and become selfless. It actually hurt to see her in such a distressed state, knowing all too well that he caused that.

With heavy lashes closed over obsidian eyes, night faded to day and the relaxed orange sky began to welcome the morning sun.

 **xxx**

"Sasuke?" Karin called from the dirt road.

Her hair looked like it had everyday, one side completely messed up while the other remained smoothed down in a silk-like manner. Karin's red eyes came to his sight clearly when he finally noticed that he had slept on the roof all night, only his cloak to keep him warm and safe from any harmful breeze the night had to offer.

"What're you doing up there so early in the morning?" She called again, obviously getting impatient with his lack of an answer.

He sighed deeply before pushing up from the roof and making his way down with graceful movements. She stood a few inches shorter than he did, but when she looked up to him, he could still see that flicker of fascination in her eyes.

"I was waiting for morning," he answered smoothly, knowing all too well that he had fallen asleep for the first night in weeks.

He felt not only refreshed, but like he had when he was a genin and came to realization that Team 7 was like his family. Sasuke's mind felt relieved almost. Almost, until he remembered that today would be the day they sought out Itachi once more - without detours or distractions.

"Get the others, it's time to leave," he ordered.

Karin only responded with a nod of the head and a sweet smile. As much as he hated it, he hated the fact that she was absolutely relentless when it came to him. He had warned her, informed her to quit being fresh with him, and while she took the hint about being nice to Sakura, she'd continue to try to seduce him.

It didn't take long for her to gather their group up. Sasuke's dark eyes looked from Juugo, to Suigetsu, to Karin, to-

Sakura was missing.

He felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach while his throat constricted. Did she actually leave last night?

It hit him hard, his mind fading as a familiar numbness took over. He felt light headed, his chest welling up with more emotions than he could handle at a time. Their group looked small in numbers now, dwindled down to nothing without Sakura's positive outlook and heart warming smile.

His obsidian eyes traced back over familiar faces, Karin's eyes following his movements with concern in her eyes.

"Where is Sakura?" Sasuke finally asked.

A moment of silence went by. Everyone remained quiet, including Sasuke who still looked from each face, trying to find answers. When his onyx orbs came to rest on Karin's fire, red eyes, she released a sigh.

"She's getting supplies."

 _Relief._

His face didn't change the slightest. Sasuke still held an emotionless expression, yet in his mind he felt his composure regain.

"She'll catch up," he finally announced before turning on his heel.

"What was that?" Sakura chimed in as their bodies stood mere inches from one another.

Her hair shined with the morning sun, emerald eyes glimmering with life while her perfect lips pulled into a smile. She looked different.

Her ivory skin returned to its regular color; sheen and silk. The dark circles beneath her eyes faded, while her hair no longer looked dried out and dead.

Another thing Sasuke noticed was the fabric in her hand versus the clothing on her body.

She wore a red tank top once more, except it cut off at the mid section of her abdomen. A mock skirt like the one she wore when he first found her, except darker in color. She wore spandex beneath those, her kunai holster resting firmly against her thigh, and a new edition: a pouch that wrapped firmly around her waist.

"Where did you get all of this?" Karin asked from behind Sasuke. The amazement in her voice made not only Sasuke smirk, but Sakura smile.

"I've been busy this morning. Some people around here had spare fabric and supplies lying around. It's not what I'm used to, but it's lighter and I feel more comfortable," she admitted.

It was obvious that she was returning Sasuke's shirt to him now. It didn't look like it though, due to the dirt and stains that she had obviously removed during her adventure this morning.

Dark eyes watched as Sakura extended her arm further out, offering him his shirt once more, but he declined.

Sasuke turned his head slightly before speaking, "we can just get rid of it."

As much as he wanted to keep it, he felt jealousy transpiring in his heart. He wanted her to wear his clothing, not something she put together by herself. As good as she looked in her new clothing - the color red included - he felt she was exposing too much skin. The toned muscles in her torso contracted when she turned away, and with each step she took, he could see the way her slender legs looked in that short skirt.

This change would make it ten times harder on the Uchiha. It would make it harder to hold himself back.

"I like that color on you, Sakura," Juugo finally spoke that morning.

Morning was running away from them, and if the group didn't continue on from this location, they'd be traveling through the middle of the night.

"Let's go," he announced, his tone serious and deep.

With no further distractions that morning, the group of them began their journey once more. Once dispersed through the trees, Sasuke made it his own personal mission to stay close to Sakura. After all, he didn't want another run in like they had previously.

He'd keep an eye on Sakura this time around. Be more selfless, be more caring, more considerate of her health and emotions.

 _She's here for a reason_ , Sasuke reminded himself.

And that was to support him in his fight with Itachi.

 **. . .**

Their travel through the Land of Wind went surprisingly fast. With the speed that each of them put into it, it took the five of them roughly four days to get across the desert. While they tried to keep to the border of the Land of Wind and Fire, Sakura came forth and informed them of the best route.

She felt like a traitor, but did she really want to watch any of them die?

"It's best to stay as close to the Land of Fire, without actually going there."

Sasuke didn't say anything, let alone as much as argue. Instead, he had been supportive with each of her decisions and ideas lately. He stayed close while traveling, closer when they thought danger was lurking, and ultimately remained quiet unless asked a question.

On the fourth day of traveling without so much as taking a night off for sleep, Sasuke finally brought his group to halt.

The air was dry, making it hard to breathe, and when everyone stopped, it was all or nothing to conceal their heavy breathing. Sakura noticed that Sasuke was also struggling to make himself calm his own breathing.

His eyes held exhaustion, and she could see it in the way he held his body, that he needed a break. Everyone needed a break, even herself.

"We'll stop here for the night," his hoarse voice spoke. It was apparent that his throat was dry, possibly due to the blowing sand and minimal breaks that they took.

Sakura could tell there was something different driving Sasuke now. She could see it in his eyes whenever he glanced at her, or the way he took the leadership roll over everyone else. It reminded her of their genin days, when Team 7 would travel. He'd be the first to call out every detail that entailed their enemies. The thought made a small smile paint across her lips before she shook her head.

The stars that speckled the night sky over the border were plentiful and vast. They each twinkled with their own personality, bright and glowing in the black velvet that painted the sky.

"I'll take first watch."

Sakura gathered enough supplies from earlier that week, that she could fit a small and thin cloak within it. She cast it over her shoulders and began walking around their temporary spot. Sasuke had picked somewhere secluded enough, yet they had many routes for escape if it came to flight or fight.

Once everyone settled in their places for the night, Sakura adjusted her back against the rock that she had taken her post on. It was large enough to watch over their selected camp, and also watch from every angle around them.

A low sigh escaped her throat before she pulled a small canteen from her pouch, drinking what little bit of water remained and quenching her thirst slightly.

"That's the ticket," she muttered to herself into the night air.

Minute after minute ticked by, and before long, Sakura felt her own eyes growing heavy and her limbs resisting the commands to stay awake.

"You know, first watch means staying awake."

It was Sasuke, his voice gentle and stance tensed slightly.

He had actually looked awkward for once in all the times Sakura had set her emerald eyes on him, and now that she saw that he could be awkward, he actually looked like a normal human being. With her mind jostled wide awake, she tucked her hair behind her ear before chuckling slightly.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized quietly.

Her jade eyes scanned the glowing stars from above while Sasuke shuffled closer towards her. Her nerves were all on edge when he took a seat next to her, his warmth radiating from him, to her, and she couldn't help but think back to the last time they were together alone; the single thought sent shivers down her spine.

He didn't say anything else, only keep his face pointed forwards as Sakura star gazed, her mind in another dimension. Their silence was anything but tense as the atmosphere settled between the two of them. She noted that he kept his distance, unlike every other time when he just had to touch her.

When his sudden movements stirred, Sakura felt herself jump, only to be calmed when his hand came to rest on his leg. The way his fingers massaged the muscles in his leg peaked her curiosity.

"Everything okay?" Sakura's professionalism took over, and her emerald eyes began to look for any clues as far as muscle fatigue went.

"Hn, just tired."

She could tell from the low tone in his voice that that wasn't the lie, but the way his nails dug deeper into his quad told her otherwise. Sakura began to readjust her position on their lookout rock, her knees coming to rest where his feet sat and when she infused chakra to her hands, the low hum filled the air.

From the illuminated glow, she could make out Sasuke's gorgeous features. His eyes flashed with distrust when her index finger, then middle finger made contact with his leg; following soon after came the palm of her hand. His faint jump would've gone undetected by any other medical ninja, but to her, she knew exactly why he was jumping.

"It's okay-" Sakura reassured him, repositioning herself further-"you've obviously got something wrong. I can tell by the way you move your fingers. Plus, you're doing it wrong."

The way his nose scrunched up and his brows furrowed told Sakura that he didn't approve of her accusation, and thus, pulled his leg from her hand and continued his self massage.

"Sasuke, quit being stubborn," Sakura scolded before reaching for his leg once more. This time, she was much more assertive when her hand made contact with his limb.

"Says the girl who deliberately disobeyed me," Sasuke retorted, pulling his leg from her grasp once more.

Their shuffles and stirring became apparent as they continued. Sakura caught her next words in her throat before her eyebrow raised with curiosity.

" _Disobeyed?"_ She shot back suddenly. "What are you? My father?"

Sasuke's eyes glowered at her with anger before his face softened. She had struck a nerve, apparently, and before he argued back, he grew quiet. Even his elevating chakra levels descended as her hand made contact with his leg once more. Sakura's chakra flowed smoothly from her hand, through his muscles, to the exact point she had thought it was.

"You pulled a muscle," she remarked. Sakura still felt her temper boiling, but seeing Sasuke raw and exposed calmed her inner mind and soul.

She needed to be more patient with him. Gentle, understanding and most of all, considerate. As much as she felt her heart raging on inside her chest, she owed it to him to bring it down a notch.

"I-I'm-" Sasuke stuttered, his eyes growing wide with something Sakura had never seen in them before.

When his obsidian eyes noticed her own looking into his deeply, his face turned suddenly. The faint green reflected against silk black hair and nothing more.

"Never mind. Forget it."

He was brooding, a hurricane forming in his mind, and Sakura could sense it. He was trying, trying his damned hardest at this whole ' _being nice'_ and if it wasn't for his almost apology, Sakura would've remained quiet.

The low hum died down once she fixed his aching quad, returning to her original position by Sasuke.

"I want you to know that I've experienced what being alone truly felt like."

Sakura couldn't feel her mind, feel her lungs compress and decompress as her chest opened up and spilled her heart out. Sasuke moved slightly next to her, probably to look ahead instead of him instead of to the side. She knew that she had his attention, but what more could she say that would make it so he would open up to her?

"Days were long. Nights were hard. I didn't cry. I didn't talk about my feelings. I only worked harder and reminded myself of my goals and bettering the future for the next generation," Sakura continued, her voice growing low and throat constricting. It became harder to talk about her feelings after having them bottled up for so long.

When her back came to touch the rough surface of the boulder, she exhaled and along with it came one hot, searing tear. It burned her skin. Reminded her just how long it had been since she'd truly felt this alone and out of place in the shinobi world.

Her mind felt lost, her heart not sure what to do, but in this moment, everything felt right.

She hadn't sensed it, but as Sasuke's fingers cupped her chin, her face was turned towards his. From the faint light of the moon, she could make out his dark, dark irises and shimmering pools. He looked content, almost. Melancholy still lined his features the closer his face came to hers, and before she could exhale her last thought into the night, Sasuke was steeling her breath away.

"I know, Sakura."

He didn't press his lips to hers in his usual firm and commanding way. He didn't comfort her, pull her to his chest and remind her just how warm his heart could be. He simply told her, told her exactly what she needed to hear.

Be it few words, the blood in her veins ran at high temperatures, her cheeks heating up and her eyes releasing small tears.

Sasuke's fingers remained on her chin, but once his soft lips made contact with her forehead, she was reminded just how selfless and caring Sasuke could actually be.

"Get some rest, your shift is over."

He was right, time had flown by. The moon was no longer sitting a quarter of the way in the sky, but hanging directly above them as the stars hugged the pale orb. Sasuke released her gently, his eyes averting to their usual spot that he watched while Sakura slipped by him, down the rock, and to their camp.

The ghost of his kiss lingered, sending fire through her body and reminding her just how much of a person she actually is.

Sleep came easily that night, just like dreams did when she was younger, before she was a shinobi.

 **. . .**

Sasuke didn't wake anyone else up after his shift. He simply stayed awake, his eyes, senses and even nerves alert and on edge.

Sakura was changing something inside of him, awakening something that had been put to sleep multiple years ago. Even when she left, he still felt his heart beating incredibly fast while his fingers trembled.

Morning approached quickly, painting the sky in pastel reds, pinks, and oranges while the sun poked its head out over the horizon. Mountains would begin to spurt out once crossing the border to the Land of Fire, but while Sasuke faced the Land of Wind, all he could see were the outstretches of a clean view. The desert held rolling hills, but nothing would compare to the rocky mountains like the Fire possessed.

"Suigetsu, knock it off!"

Karin and Suigetsu were fighting already that morning, and to make things better, they had just woken up.

Sasuke popped his back, rolled his neck, stretched out the ligaments in his arms and fingers and began his way down their outpost rock. After Sakura had worked her magic and freed his leg of the pain, he felt not only refreshed, but rejuvenated as well.

When he arrived at their camp, he could clearly see Suigetsu holding Karin at arm's length, her red tresses spewing out from underneath his hand as he held her in place. The taunting smile on his face told Sasuke all he needed to know.

 _Him and that damn cup,_ Sasuke began rolling the charcoaled wood, extinguishing their embers from the night before.

"I'm serious, I'll strangle you if you don't stop!" Her screams grew louder by the second, and while Suigetsu kept smiling and mocking her, Juugo sat to the side with a single eyebrow raised.

"Karin, bring it down a notch," Juugo finally commented while birds landed among his outstretched fingers.

Missing from the picture was Sakura, but before his mind rushed to being panicked, he could just feel her nearby.

To Sasuke's surprise, Sakura was still curled up with her thin cloak over her petite frame. She looked peaceful, the way her knees came to her chest, her hands balled into fists and tucked between her chest and knees.

She was obviously tired; traveling for four days straight, taking first watch, and exerting chakra to heal a stupid pulled muscle.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair before vanishing from his current position. If anything, he could give their group - mostly Sakura - time to unwind a bit longer. Besides, he needed to wash his hair and scrub his body of all the built up sweat from their days of travel.

As he walked silently through the trees and cover of the brush, his ears didn't pick up on any sort of water movements. No waterfalls, no rushing currents, not even a small pond was in sight.

He took his traveling to the trees, his dark eyes scanning every inch of the thick forest now. Just his luck, nothing.

Sasuke took off back towards the camp, hoping that Karin and Suigetsu hadn't torn into each other's throats and that Sakura was awake. He felt bad for thinking it, but Juugo was one of the only sane ones - when he wasn't undergoing his deranged beast state. Unlike Karin who nitpicked everything Suigetsu did, and Suigetsu who was always up to something mischievous, and then Sakura. Sakura who would always argue back and make his mind go blank from every thought and idea and everything else he had going on inside his mind.

Juugo always remained quiet and calm, unless otherwise stated.

When Sasuke arrived, he had the weirdest feeling in his chest, something uncomfortable and rather annoying. It didn't feel right, and if it hadn't been for his senses, he wouldn't have caught it.

A single kunai cut through the air, sending a cold breeze rush by his cheek as he dodged it at the last second.

The hot trickle of blood fell down Sasuke's cheek as he caught sight of his follower, knowing all too well that they'd been found. His mind instantly traced back to Karin's loud voice, her shrieks of distress as Suigetsu tormented her over his stupid slurping of his water bottle, and now each of them would put up a fight.

One after another, kunai launched from the cover of the brush. Blood red eyes watched the air trail that streamed behind each one, and when he caught glimpse of who exactly it was, his stomach flipped.

Anbu from the Hidden Leaf.

Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to get back to his comrades, let alone escape without causing a scene. He'd attract a lot more attention than he'd wanted, but it was time to fight.

After a great deal of hand signs, the heat welled in his chest, enveloped and gathered in his throat, and soon coursed through his lips. The trees in his wake instantly caught fire from the Uchiha clan's famous fireball jutsu.

Charcoal flames ignited, creating a heat that outmatched the Wind's desert, and while trunks began to fall, Sasuke felt this would be his ideal time to get away. He needed to keep his whereabouts concealed. The last thing he needed was Konoha's Anbu on his ass while trying to track down Itachi.

Sasuke also started processing that maybe they weren't here for him, but for Sakura. The idea pained him, caused his heart to stop dead in his chest, the air to escape his lungs and his eyes to widen.

He couldn't let them take her from him, not when they were getting close to finding Itachi.

"Sasuke!" Karin's voice cut through the burning trees and rising smoke.

He could make out the way her hair flowed freely from the way she ran towards him, her legs carrying her faster than he had ever seen.

She was running straight into the danger zone, her eyes wide with fear as she approached him. She was mere feet away from him before the first of multiple shuriken plunged into her skin, coating her arm in her own blood.

Karin didn't scream when the next shuriken were about to make contact.

Hell, nothing sounded from her. Sasuke's eyes couldn't make out what had happened, but before he knew it, Sakura's kunai was making contact with and deflecting the ninja tools from sinking into Karin's body.

She stood with fierce, emerald eyes, her stance blocking Karin's body from the Leaf shinobi.

Sakura looked absolutely fearless.

With the fire blazing around them and trees falling left and right, she kept her mind focused and body ready for anything that came her way. Sasuke could only feel his mind reeling, his heart beating with an intense beat in his chest, and his eyes staying on her.

She was truly something else, and even now, he couldn't keep his mind off of her.


	11. Reality

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Update day, yay! I hope you all had a great weekend, and have an awesome week ahead of you! I'd say we're like.. towards the middle of the story right about now. :) if you'd be so kind, let me know how I'm doing. I love seeing what you all have to say, and I definitely take into account what suggestions you may have! Boy, let me tell you. Sasuke needs to get his jutsu under control. Heathen, I tell you! I hope you enjoy and I'll be updating next week! See ya then._

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Reality_

* * *

The heat and smoke from the rising fire whirled around the three of them, covering and devouring everything in the licking flames.

Sasuke's eyes glowed as he watched Sakura's body move with such intense speed and strength. She had changed so much while he was away, and now that he could actually see her in action, he was amazed.

A smirk formed on his face while his hand met the hilt of his sword. While Sakura was perfectly fine with handling herself, Anbu from the Leaf would be way too much for her to handle by herself. Plus with Karin lying on the forest floor, her arm spilling blood, they would eventually need to leave before the fire consumed them all.

The Uchiha was now perched behind Sakura, his back to both of the woman while his sword was posed and ready to protect.

"You're here!" Karin squawked, her voice filled with pain while her ruby eyes glazed over with pain. He didn't so much as turn to look at her, but more so take a glance at Sakura.

The clinking of metal distracted him, but as his head whipped around, his sword deflected another blade that came for his chest.

Sasuke's adrenaline was running high while the smoke began to fill his lungs. It was becoming harder to breathe, more so in these burning flames than it was in the dry desert.

If anything, they needed the rest of their group to reevaluate and escape before any of them were killed off, hauled off, or beaten.

As Sasuke's Kusangi pushed off his pursuars blade, he was in the air, one foot making contact with the gray vest that the Leaf shinobi wore, while his other foot kept his balance aligned. If anything, he needed to focus on his center of gravity and keep from getting knocked back.

Fighting back to back with Sakura brought back his days of being with Team 7. Whether it came to protecting the bridge builder, or team exercises, they always found themselves with their backs to one another, protecting each other.

When the shinobi who took his foot to the chest backed off a ways, Sasuke's sword was sheathed, his hands weaving more signs to pursue with attacking. After focusing his chakra to his left hand, he couldn't hear a thing other than the chirping that descended within his palm. The blinding light that emanated from his Chidori glowed with a furious white light, outlined with a deep blue.

The constant clinking of metal came from behind him as Sakura continued her fight, but when Sasuke's maroon eyes found his prey, he pounced. He hurled his hand straight through the Anbu's chest, blood coating his skin as the man immediately began to fall backwards.

The smoke grew thicker, causing Sasuke's chest to tighten as he pulled his arm back and away from the gaping hole. He felt his mind pinch, his chest ache and his throat throb as he stepped back, taking a look at what he had done.

Lying before him was a man gasping for air while his mask covered his face. The Uchiha didn't feel inclined to take a peak at who it was, but as he grasped the hilt of his sword, he drove the blade right through his chest, opposite from the hole. A low gargle sounded from the shinobi's throat now as blood trickled from underneath his mask. The gray vest immediately began to soak up the crimson liquid as Sasuke pulled his Kusangi from his chest and sheathed his sword once more.

With one member of the Leaf down, escaping would be easier.

Or so he thought. His fight had torn him away from both Sakura and Karin, and before he could catch a glance of either of them, the fire began to split down the middle of them.

Juugo's beastly figure rushed through the flames, his face distorted with horns sticking out while his skin took the color of a pale brown. His yellow eyes glowed while the orange flames reflected from his irises. Sasuke could clearly see the rush of panic coursing through his eyes while his body continued to rampage through the smokey and fiery forest.

As they made eye contact, it was like karma was smacking Sasuke in the face. Juugo hadn't been the calm and most sane of their group. It was only when the man could touch down to Earth and actually find his peace that he wasn't a raging beast.

He was charging Sasuke now, his fist coming back and preparing to lunge forward as soon as he was close enough.

The Uchiha could see every moment before Juugo even decided on what to do next. The smoke was clearly getting to his head and while Sasuke dodged yet another incoming attack, it was to his misfortune that Juugo wasn't exactly aiming for him, but the massive tree behind him.

Within seconds, it came crashing down, flames and all. Once it made contact with the forest floor, ashes and embers erupted from the trunk, sending an immense amount of burning smoke Sasuke's way. The longer they stayed in his raging environment, the less likely all of them would escape with their lives.

"Juugo!" Sasuke finally shouted through the flames. He couldn't see nor sense the beastly man anymore.

 _Fuck,_ Sasuke thought as he began to wipe the water that ran from his eyes.

His lungs began to burn from inhaling the smoke, while the fire around him began to close in. This section of forest was being eaten alive by the flames, and if they didn't leave soon, more Anbu and shinobi from both the Leaf and Sand would show up.

He canceled out his overthinking and began pushing through the smoke. It was darkening the further he ran, obviously growing closer to where the fire started. A large wave of chakra caught his attention, and once he glanced to his right, another tree was falling his way.

Trunk after trunk, it was a storm of raining embers and ash. The smoke was growing thicker by the second and Sasuke could feel his mind growing hazy.

 _It's getting to your head._

His conscious was fading and the demon was taking his chance.

Sasuke couldn't hold on for much longer, but he continued through the fire. He needed to find Sakura. Needed to regroup with everyone and they needed to leave.

He needed air.

His mind grew clouded while the heat surrounded him. The smoke entered through his nostrils, invaded his throat and filled his lungs. Trees and brush continued to burn down around him, crashing here and there and creating a hurricane of flying embers. Soon, strangled coughs pushed through his throat, growing louder with each step he took until he finally fell to one knee, his hand rushing to his chest as he tried to inhale fresh oxygen.

But he just couldn't. The world around him was a swirl of reds and oranges, eating away at his eyesight while the flames danced in their heated patterns. The crackling was like a song, the only thing he could hear as he squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could. When the flames grew closer, he could feel the hair on his arms disingrate, his skin crawl due to the heat, and finally the last he could feel was his heart pulsing slowly.

Beating once, twice, three times against his chest.

And when Sasuke finally fell to his hands and knees, his mind was shrouded in a curtain of black, the last bit of oxygen finally leaving his lips.

He couldn't focus his chakra, he couldn't withstand the heat any longer. But he could sense her, sense just how close she was.

The arms that gathered him in their embrace felt rough, the voice in his ears canceled out when the heat that surrounded his body was anything but comforting. Sasuke knew that his death was coming.

 _"Hang in there."_

 **. . .**

Karin had lost enough blood from her arm while Sakura fended off the Anbu members. She continued to remind herself that these were her friends, that she shouldn't be fighting them; the Leaf made no exceptions for traitors, though.

Through each defending blow and progressive attack, she kept in mind just how close the flames were growing.

The heat was welling up around them, and when her emerald eyes found Karin hardly conscious, she knew this fight needed to end sooner.

Sakura couldn't believe that they were facing yet another fire, but this time, she'd stay completely conscious and aware of her surroundings. After she fended off another Anbu, she rushed to Karin and hoisted the red head over her shoulder.

"You're going to be okay, Karin! Tune into my voice, don't give up," Sakura hollered over the sounds of the raging fire.

The flames annihilated everything in its path, destroying whatever beautiful greenery this section of the forest had to offer. With the billowing smoke and glowing orange growing closer, Sakura's mind began to think of the safest route possible.

First, she needed to ensure Karin's safety. Make sure that she would stay conscious until they escaped the enveloping fire.

Second, she would need to regather with the rest of the group. After she had followed Karin into the forest earlier, it was then that the smell of burning wood entered her nostrils.

Third, she would need to figure out how to escape the pursuing Leaf shinobi. They were clever, very coordinated and some of the best that Tsunade had mustered up.

The thoughts kept pounding into Sakura's mind as sweat beads dripped from her brow, running down her smooth face and dripping to the ground. Karin readjusted slightly in Sakura's arm, her lips positioned by Sakura's ear.

While Sakura couldn't exactly make out the words she was speaking, she continued to talk to the red head.

"We're going to escape, don't you-"

The sudden falling of nearby trees crashed through the outspread limbs of other trees. The fire was spreading drastically, and when Sakura heard the monstrous shriek, she knew something bad was happening; she couldn't even sense Sasuke anymore.

While the smoke began to fill her lungs, she pulled the collar of her tank top to cover her nose and mouth. This would limit the smoke intake as she rushed to the opposite direction of the flames.

"Sakura!" It was Suigetsu, his glowing eyes filled with concern.

"Sakura, it's Juugo! I can't find him and he took off."

 _You've got to be fucking kidding me,_ she was panting. Anger was something she didn't need, but that fixed alongside her adrenaline, Sakura carefully removed Karin from her shoulder and placed her against the forest floor.

She calmed her mind enough to where she could focus chakra to her hands, beginning the healing process of Karin's stab wounds. The shuriken had dislodged themselves while Sakura and Karin's trek became wild, the pinkette's body increasing in speed as she carried them away from danger.

 _You've got to get back in there. You've got to find him,_ Sakura kept reminding herself.

The blood flow from Karin's arm eventually came to stop, clotting up and becoming an even scab. She would address the problem further once they escaped the danger, but for now, it would do.

"Take her with you. Keep running to the east. Don't stop until you've found a mountain split down the middle," Sakura ordered, jade eyes hardening over.

"Then what?" Suigetsu's eyes grew wide as he plucked Karin from the ground. His hands were gentle as he held her in his arms, her head rocking softly to his chest.

"You'll know what to do once you see it," Sakura offered before covering her face with her tank top once more and taking off into the smoke.

Her body submerged into the darkening picture, ash and soot black trees decorating the dying scene. Animals fled from the forest, the sounds of their hooves and flapping wings the only thing Sakura could hear as she pressed her feet into the burning soil.

Everything was dying in her wake. Fuck, for all she knew, Sasuke could be burning alive, along with Juugo.

Sakura needed to continue to fight, continue to press on for their sake. With chakra focused to her feet and her mind centered on everything surrounding her, she sent out a massive pulse of chakra.

She could sense him, sense just how close he was but also how weak his body was growing.

Trees began to fall around her once more, and along with it, a defeated shriek. It sounded like the one from earlier, but not as beast-like. When Sakura rushed to her right, she could see the scene unfolding in front of her.

Evergreen eyes clouded over with defeat as she rushed the fallen pile of trees.

It was nothing but a blaring fire, raging in anger and built up hate. Embers transcended to the sky above, while the breeze fueled the flames. Sakura could only do one thing, and with that thought running widely in her head, she gathered as much power into her fist as she could before crashing it down into the burning pile.

Ash, soot, coals, and embers flew up into her face. She could feel and smell her skin burning from the impact; the knuckles on her hand quickly giving way to the heat as the busted and cracked trees departed from the body underneath.

It was Juugo.

She felt her heart in her throat, her chest throbbing with pain. Sakura immediately grasped his burnt body and sent a single wave of her hand down his side. His skin was blistered and bubbled, his hair singed and face covered in blisters. As Sakura had drawn closer, she could see his arms wrapped around something.

 _Sasuke._

While Sakura's body exhaled heavily, she could feel her body growing heavy while her emerald eyes watered.

Juugo's body would need some healing once they escaped, but for now, she'd try her hardest to pull both of them from the rubble and soot that coated them.

"Come on," she groaned, trying her damned hardest to get a grip on Juugo's body.

Not only was he heavy, but his torn clothing made it hard to find somewhere descent to grab onto. The last spot she wanted to grasp was his revealed, burnt arm. With all of her training that she had done with her master, Tsunade had never taught her what to do in a situation as bad as this.

Sakura inhaled as deeply as she could, choking slightly on the heavy smoke that she swallowed down and continued with her rescue. She continued to cough as she pulled her comrades through the burning trees and brush. The farther she got, the clearer it was becoming. Fresh air began to blow through her shirt, entering her nostrils and filling her lungs as she escaped the clutches of the flames.

Her emerald eyes remained ahead of her, her brain focusing on where to go, what to do, how to do it.

While Sakura could still feel Juugo's chakra pulsing, Sasuke's was next to nothing; it concerned her, made it harder to focus on the clearing that she had finally made it to.

Once she finally got to the open and clean space, her eyes looked back to the forest. The orange glow and billowing smoke made her head hurt, her hands shake while she coughed out the remaining toxins. A once beautiful and peaceful forest set to fire, only due to a fight that had broken out and got out of hand.

Juuog's sudden movements ripped her from her thoughts, and when Sakura finally pulled her shirt down from her nose, she noticed just how much she had healed the giant while in her state of thoughts. His blisters were gone, his skin slightly red from the heat, and no burn marks to show for his courageous act. The only thing left was his singed hair. When his eyes finally opened, she was reminded of the glowing fire and just how close the color of his irises were to that.

Sakura crawled to Sasuke who was still in Juugo's embrace, his face covered in soot and dirt while his hair covered his face.

He looked peaceful almost, if it weren't for the fact that he was near death.

"I'm going to need some space," Sakura ordered as she gently placed Sasuke's back flat against the forest floor.

Once she placed her fingers against his neck and felt for a pulse, she instantly felt her heart in her throat.

 _C'mon, Sasuke._

Her mind was racing now as she tilted his chin back slightly, watching his chest rise the slightest.

When Sakura's fingers came to his nose, she was only hoping, wishing, and dreaming that this wasn't happening.

Sasuke couldn't be dead.

 **. . .**

 _His world was colorful, filled with plenty of flowers and people wandering through the fields._

 _While he wandered by himself, Sasuke couldn't help be feel a certain pain in his chest. Out of all the people walking in this vast and open area, he was alone. Not a single person would talk to him, come near him, or even shoot a glance his way._

 _He was alone._

 _He couldn't smell the flowers, or feel the dry wind that moved all of the greenery. Sasuke couldn't even feel his own heart beating, or the soft petals of the flowers when he bent down and touched them. Everything felt numb._

 _"That's not the right way to treat a flower."_

 _His jet black eyes turned to the voice next to him, only to find no one around. When his body stood from crouching, he still didn't see anyone._

 _"Where are you?" He tried asking, but nothing came out._

 _Silence surrounded him, yet everything remained in motion. His eyes looked, watched, observed as he stood in silence._

 _"You need to be gentle," the voice was almost familiar now - almost nostalgic._

 _Sasuke's eyes looked back to the flower that he had touched, noting how he hadn't felt anything earlier when he touched it. The pastel pink on the petals faded to white on the end, the middle being a fluorescent yellow, bright like the sunshine. When he bent back over, her brushed the back of his knuckles against a single petal once more, being as gentle as he could possibly be._

 _"Don't forget," it was that voice again._

 _When he looked back up, he could feel the wind finally blowing through his hair, the warmth of the sun against his skin, and how fresh the petals of the flower felt. He could hear the chirping of birds, the voices of distant people, and the leaves that brushed against one another in the trees._

 _He could feel his chest begin to hurt, the air cutting short while his hand jumped to his throat._

 _He breaths became short and rigid, his forehead pounding with an oncoming headache while the sun began to hide behind the clouds. The once beautiful view in front of Sasuke was turning to mush, while his eyes dropped to the ground._

 _The fields of flowers began to die off, except for that one._

 _"Sasuke-"_

 _It sounded faint, yet up close. With his hand to his head now, he struggled to look up from the ground. Sasuke felt like his body was under a large weight, his chest caving in and crushing his heart and lungs._

 _"Sasuke!"_

 _The last flower left was the soft, pink flower he had touched earlier. It swayed in the growing wind, leaning towards him as he stared at it from behind long, thick lashes._

 _When his chest finally pinched and his hand around his throat dropped, he could feel nothing more than pain._

"Sasuke!"

It was Sakura.

She had a hand pushed against his chest; the heel of her hand placed firmly in between his pectorals, with the other one checking his pulse. He could feel and hear her heavy breathing while the ends of her hair tickled his nose. Before he could open his eyes, he felt his nose clamp shut and her gentle lips push against his. When he felt the air begin to flow clearly into his mouth and down his throat, his onyx eyes snapped open.

The pain in his chest finally emerged, his lips free from Sakura's when he let out a violent cough. His head hurt, his eyes felt fuzzy and most of all, his chest was killing him. It felt like an eternity since he'd inhaled fresh oxygen, and while he could still smell the faint smell of smoke, his eyes were already focusing in on Sakura.

She had dried trails from tears on her cheeks, her hair a mess while her hand was still placed against his chest.

Sasuke kept coughing but when he finally felt it coming to an end, Sakura gently removed her hand from his body and folded it in her lap. She sat beside him, simply staring into his dark eyes with vidirian orbs.

"Are you okay?" Her words were soft, and when Sasuke felt his eyes begin to wander, the pounding in his head started up again.

"For the most part," he mumbled as he brought his eyes back to her.

She looked hurt and exhausted; it pained him to see her that way.

"Where is everyone?"

"They're waiting for us. I told Juugo to go ahead and find Suigetsu and Karin," Sakura dropped to her hands, hovering above Sasuke slightly.

The tips of her fingers brushed his forearm, resulting in a slight sting.

"You're hurt," Sakura noted as she placed her palm against his skin.

Sasuke didn't look away from her, only watched her graceful movements and skillful technique. She made it look easy, with the flick of her finger, his cut was gone, the blood dried, and no scar left.

With the sun lying just behind her body, it outlined her silhouette, casting a shadow over her features.

Sasuke felt the pain come back to his chest, small coughs entering the atmosphere as he leaned up. Sakura's hands caught him as he leaned up, and when he was done, her face was mere inches from his.

"Why do you care so much?" He asked, remembering his dream and how real it felt.

"There's no need to ask such questions like that right now. We have other things to worry about."

Sakura looked stern, her lips pressed in a firm line while her eyes hardened over. He didn't like the look in her eyes, or the awkward tension that loomed over them. They were so close, yet Sasuke felt a million miles away.

When Sakura pulled her hands to herself - after ensuring his balance - she stood from her spot and brushed the dried grass from her knees. Sasuke stood from the ground as well, his muscles slightly sore, yet when Sakura began to walk away, he couldn't help but walk after her.

It was all backwards.

He shouldn't be chasing her, following in her footsteps, asking her questions that would make him feel better just by hearing her say the answer. It was like a wall had parted them, blocked off their bond and cut their ties.

But in the end, was it really a wall that ruined their connection?

"Sakura," Sasuke called out in his monotone voice.

When she turned to look at him, he couldn't feel his body anymore. His fingers were already wrapping around her hip, his other hand came to cup her cheek, and when Sasuke closed his eyes, he felt nothing but her soft lips against his.

Sakura didn't fight; she didn't pull away, or argue, but she didn't kiss him back, either.

 _You need to be gentle._

It was a soft reminder, one that he needed. When Sasuke pulled away, Sakura was looking at him with starstruck eyes, and a still body. She no longer had a hard gaze in her eyes, or a firm look on her face.

She looked broken almost, yet she hid it behind that wall that still separated them.

"What is it you want from me?" She choked out from behind her tough exterior. It was there that Sasuke heard the voice of younger Sakura - one that he hadn't heard in years.

"I've already told you, Sakura," Sasuke reminded her, the air blowing through his dark locks.

She shook her head before biting her lower lip.

"What do you really want from me?"

Sasuke felt his heart in his stomach while his chest pulled itself in a tight knot. He couldn't answer her, fuck, he couldn't even answer himself. He knew what he wanted from her, but was it permanent? Would he really trust her not to get hurt when he finally faced off with Itachi?

His calloused hand still cupped her cheek, and when he felt her jawline tighten, he saw just how angry she looked.

"I'm sick of this!" She finally screamed.

There were no tears, only her anger shrieks. Sakura slapped his hand away and turned her back to him, "you're just using me."

Sasuke felt his own temper flaring, angry with this girl who was throwing a fit out of nowhere. Instead of arguing and feeding the fire, he remained quiet.

Sakura stopped in her tracks and turned her head, her emerald eye glancing at him from the corner.

"You're using me," she repeated. "You're fucking using me, and you have the nerve to sit here and tell me you want my help?

"You're a coward, Sasuke. You go against my feelings, and use people for your own selfish needs. I should've noticed earlier. I should've gone with my gut feeling and told you to fuck off from the beginning. I _loved_ you!" Her finger was pressed to his chest now, while tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Sasuke could see just how angry she was with the way she carried her body and held her shoulders.

Her breathing was heavy and her eyes narrowed, "well fuck this. You're _nothing_ but a coward. I'm going home."

Sasuke couldn't let her leave. He couldn't speak, he was tongue tied. His heart was in his throat now, making it feel like he could vomit if he opened his mouth, but when he reached for Sakura's hand, she pulled it away.

When she brought it back, the glowing of chakra that emanated from it was apparent the second he caught her fist. Sasuke's eyes were already glowing red when Sakura turned on him, but now that he looked at her with his Sharingan, he could see the tears flowing freely.

"You never cared and you still don't," Sakura hollered as she ripped her hand from his embrace.

Sasuke felt the spike of chakra coming from Sakura and when she threw another punch his way, he caught her once more. He didn't want to do it, but he brought both of them to the forest floor in a second. She was pinned underneath his weight, and while she squirmed to free herself, she failed to do so.

"You need to calm down, Sakura," Sasuke warned, his knees pressing into the ground while his hands pressed against her shoulders.

He was straddling her waist, and as hard as she tried, she couldn't even buck her hips. Before she could even bring her foot up, or knee him in the back, Sasuke's hand caught her thigh and held it in place.

"I'm warning you," he finally growled, his anger boiling over while his blood ran cold with ice. "Knock it off."

"Why? Why should I, Sasuke?" Sakura shot back. She finally quit trying to fight from under his weight, but refused to face him.

It hurt him to do it, but he needed to get through to her. She was obviously in a state of rage, distressed from all the ongoing events, and without her by his side, he'd be done for.

 _Don't do it._

His demon fought, trying to persuade the Uchiha that it wasn't the right choice.

 _She called you a coward. Do you really believe you're a coward?_

His hand was crawling up Sakura's neck, relishing in how soft and silk-like she felt, even from fighting and a fire.

 _She'll destroy you._

Sasuke's face was close to Sakura's now, his lips grazing her ear lobe. She still looked away from him, making it harder to talk to her.

"Believe what you want Sakura," he whispered into her ear. "But you've always mattered to me."

His heart was beating rapidly and when her head turned towards him, he could see just how exposed Sakura actually was at that point in time. He wasn't the only one feeling this way, but these words were bound to come out sooner or later.

"I need you help, yet I can't be with you. Itachi will kill you. Do you understand me?" It was Sasuke's turn to be serious and stern with her. The more he talked, the wider her eyes grew.

"This is reality, Sakura. I care, but don't you _ever_ call me a coward."

He swallowed hard, hard enough to the point of his chest hurting once more and the feeling to cough again. Before he could pull away and cough up whatever smoke was left, Sakura had her lips pressed against his.

She didn't say a word or make a sound. Sasuke's mind went numb, his blood turning from ice to fire within a second, and while Sakura's lips felt great against his, it was even better when her hand gripped his cheeks.

She broke their kiss and looked to him with tears brimming her eyelids.

"He won't kill me," she spoke in a hushed whisper. "So _this_ ," she emphasized, "is reality."

With Sakura underneath him, Sasuke felt himself pushing away from her and allowing her freedom. She was done with fussing, she was done with trying to hit him, and she was done with screaming.

Sasuke only looked at her, taking each and every one of her words in before their lips were sealed together in another bittersweet kiss. He felt pain in his head, his mind telling him one thing, but his heart still wanted everything that had to do with Sakura.

Neither of them said another word; their lips remained together, moving in unison as Sasuke held her underneath him, careful not to suffocate her with his weight.

He cared and she knew.

She still loved him and he was aware.

With day beginning to fade and the bright sky mixing with darker colors, they stayed in the dry grass. Stars began to spread above them, and with it, the moon. He caressed her soft cheek, gently touching her with the backs of his knuckles while her eyes reflected the glistening stars from above.

 _This is our reality,_ he thought.

 **. . .**

"This is definitely hers."

The silver haired man walked from his spot by the river, to the boy clad in orange. His single eye glanced at the reflecting metal, widening at the shape it was in.

"It smells like smoke," he noted, sapphire eyes widening when they averted to his.

"Kakashi-sensei, she's okay! Sakura isn't weak, she's okay," Naruto's grip tightened as he shoved her hitai-ate in his pocket.

Naruto felt goosebumps transcend down his arms, shivers running down his spine as he looked at the rest of her scattered clothing. While bits and pieces of her clothing lined the ground, others were missing. Naruto's eyes looked away, his heart shattering.

"Naruto, you said it yourself. She's going to be okay. Look," Kakashi pointed out, "her boots are missing. That's a obvious sign that either she-" he cut himself off, deciding it best not to finish that part of his sentence. "Sakura is okay."

Naruto only nodded before turning back towards Pakkun.

"Where to next?"


	12. Beneath

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or the characters._

 _Oh hey guys! I took a uhhh, hiatus for awhile. Got my life back on track and present to you, a very nice and smut filled chapter._

 _Enjoy, loves! Thanks for being patient with me! I love you all._

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Beneath_

* * *

His lips tasted of ash, while her lungs burned. She could feel his hands adjusting to the way her hips moved against his own body, and while every nerve ending twisted and turned, Sakura remained with her lips attached to Sasuke's.

The ends of his obsidian hair tickled her nose the more he moved. With the sun setting and the moon in full motion, Sakura could feel the night air creeping up her legs and cooling her body down. In the distance, the fire continued to eat every tree in its wake, spreading like a monsoon.

"We can't stay here," Sakura breathed between each kiss.

Sasuke's dark eyes looked to her, his lips parting from hers as he inhaled quickly.

"No," he retorted before his lips found their way back to hers.

In Sakura's mind, this wasn't the right thing to do. Not here, not now. Especially with Anbu from the Leaf so close, and a fire raging on the border. They could get killed if they remained here, but the excitement and adrenaline that rushed through her body kept her in place.

When Sasuke's hands found their way to her scalp, his fingers began to tangle into her roots and pull lightly.

"We can't leave," Sasuke gasped for air, "not again."

She knew exactly what he was talking about, referring to Suigetsu's interruption while they were in a heated moment like this. Instead of pulling away, Sakura snaked her hands around his broad shoulders and pulled him closer. While his body tensed at her sudden reaction, he only responded positively and followed her movements.

His fingers snaked through her hair now, pulling her closer to him, while his other wrapped around the small of her back; his hips pressed into her own, reminding her just how toned and built Sasuke actually was.

She moaned into his mouth, her mind racing as her blood became ice the closer he brought her to his body. When his lips trailed away from her own, Sakura found it incredibly hard to breathe. Between the rigid air enclosing them in its grasp and Sasuke's lips trailing down her jawline and pressing tender kisses to her neck, she felt her very core heating up.

If Sakura really wanted to, she could bring him down to his knees and do as she pleased, but that's not what she wanted. She was caught in the moment, trapped in this frozen time of being so close to Sasuke and not actually fighting for once. Her nails slowly bit into the skin on his neck as his teeth dug into her shoulder, a pleased growl reverberating across her skin.

Sasuke's hand began to trail down her neck and away from her short hair now. He made sure to pull her closer into his embrace the more he worked his lips down her silk-like skin, and while Sakura could hardly control her mind, it was apparent that Sasuke couldn't control his actions as well.

"Sasuke-" Sakura whimpered, before his strong hands lifted her from her spot in the field.

Between the crunching of dried grass and heavy panting, Sasuke had Sakura in his arms, her legs coming to wrap around his body as he held her firmly in his grip. Onyx eyes looked deeply into her own beautiful eyes, and while it was getting darker, she could see Sasuke's real and exposed self. He was beautiful in this raw and pure state, but while he was a killer and traitor, Sakura couldn't help but fall deeper in love with this boy.

He had been hurt, his trust shattered, and his heart crushed beneath the palm of his own brother. But as he held Sakura and stared deeply into her eyes, she could see that deep down, he genuinely cared.

Her heart started as he pressed his lips to the skin of her soot covered abdomen. He pressed a small kiss just above her navel, causing her heart to increase in pace and her skin to crawl while the heat spread throughout her body. He was soft, and gentle, and caring. His touch slow and steady, while his eyes confirmed that this is what she wanted.

Sakura knew in her heart that if they continued, there would be no going back. It was all or nothing, go big or go home.

And that's what they were doing; both Sasuke and Sakura, together under the stars, their energy combining as their lips found their way back to one another.

Sasuke was no longer demanding like he had been the last time they kissed, but gentle. She felt his arms tense while their bodies began to fall, and with tender and graceful movements, she felt her back make contact with the grass beneath her; it cradled her, held her in place as Sasuke repositioned his weight above her, making sure he wouldn't crush her.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked softly between a shared kissed.

Sakura felt the air in her lungs vanish, keeping her eyes squeezed shut as she answered. "Yes, Sasuke."

Her mind had grown blank now. Sakura could no longer think or hear, or even comprehend what was going on anymore. Sasuke wasn't the typical restricted and composed guy as he had always been, except he was gentle and soft in every way possible.

He kissed her like the way she had dreamed about, touched her with strong, calloused hands like she had thought about. And now that there were here and working towards something that both of them would either regret, or love, there was no stopping.

Did Sasuke really want this because he cared about her? Or did the smoke go to his head and indefinitely screw him up?

Sakura couldn't decide on what the answer could've been, not while Sasuke began to undo the buttons to her tank top and slowly slide it down her shoulders. While Sakura felt exposed, this wasn't nearly as bad as the time at the river; with Sasuke pressed against her body, only his shirt separating their skin and desires.

As his lips made their way passed her clavicle and farther, farther, farther down her skin, Sakura's mind was beginning to go numb. Her heart was racing, and with how quiet the area around them grew, she was sure Sasuke could hear her racing pulse.

Either he heard it or felt it, because when he looked to take a glance into her own eyes, he pressed one last kiss to her lips; chaste but sweet.

"This is what we both want, isn't it?" He asked quietly against her ear, his lips grazing the shell while his fingers curled into the ends of her soft hair.

That familiar heat in her core began to explode, sending a wave of molten lava through her veins as she released a small smile. With her heart drumming against her rib cage and her mind becoming clouded, she removed the rest of her shirt, began to tear into her bindings and attack Sasuke's lips with her own.

The sudden aggression and swift movements excited Sasuke - something Sakura noticed almost immediately - all while he began to discard his clothes and press his lips to the center of her chest. Sakura felt her breath growing shaky, but as Sasuke's bare chest now came to rest against her own, she found her arms wrapping around his back and their lips crashing together in unison.

Fire and ice, colliding against one another and causing steam, and while this portrayed exactly what was going on, Sakura couldn't help but inhale him as a whole. Sasuke was beautiful, even deep down, he contained a beautiful soul. As tainted and dark as he had been portrayed, Sakura shoved those thoughts aside, and along with it, came Sasuke's trousers.

He was fully aroused, his length hard while Sakura began to push her own skirt down. She was clumsy, her fingers shaking and she tried to keep her lips on his own. When she felt the small smirk beneath her lips, her emerald green eyes opened, only to be welcomed by Sasuke's ruby orbs.

The sight was breath taking, his face as aristocratic as ever, with his famous smirk painted across his lips.

 **. . .**

He could hear her shaky breath, and the way her fingers trembled as they brushed lightly against his abdomen, discarding the rest of her clothes. Her own body felt amazing under his, although covered in soot and sweat, she always tasted sweet and her aura was intoxicating.

Sakura was completely revealed now, her viridian eyes glowing under the moonlight, and Sasuke could swear that when she bit down on her lower lip, her eyes flashed a dangerous glimmer. Her fingers were no longer trembling as she wrapped her hands around his shoulders once more, her digits finding his thick hair, and pulling his head closer to hers.

Their lips met once more, and Sasuke's stomach was beginning to tie in knots. His breathing was becoming rigid and while Sakura's fingers massaged across his scalp, his own hands began to slide down her hips, resting just above her womanhood.

He could feel her reaction as her body pushed into his hand, her hips pushing harder into his own, and with it, a small moan released from her lips.

Sasuke smirked, knowing the more he moved his hand, the more Sakura would buck against him and squirm from beneath him. Before he continued, he rubbed her gently, feeling the thick hair that covered her skin, his mind wondering if the color down there, matched the pastel pink of her hair.

"Sasuke," the murmur came from beneath his lips the lower his fingers traveled.

Heat welled from between her legs, and as Sasuke could feel the liquid that came from her center, he became more aroused to know that Sakura was just as excited as he. Before he could continue, his movements stopped. His throat began to clench while his heart pounded furiously inside his chest.

He wasn't this use to being so close to people, let alone Sakura. Now he was here, nearly naked, with Sakura's lips against his own while his fingers rubbed her clit gently. He swallowed, hoping to down his fears and let his emotions take over his movements and throw all the overthinking to the side.

This is what he wanted.

 _Sakura_.

His mind kicked back into gear when he felt her tongue brush his lower lip, entering his mouth and sliding passed his own. Not only was she enticing, but she was just so sweet, and he couldn't hold back. He moved his fingers along her clit just ever so slightly, lavishing in the way she moved against his hand. Their kiss began to deepen, and although he was nervous, he slid his fingers lower until they were resting at her entrance.

Her small yet strong hand grasped his wrist with such speed, that his onyx eyes snapped open and he was face to face with something serious.

"Be gentle," she warned, her tone hard and her eyes shimmering.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Yes," her voice trailed off slightly.

Although she tried to sound as tough as possible, Sasuke could tell she was afraid. It hurt him to know that she felt that way, but another thing told him it wasn't because she was afraid of him. Rather, she was scared of what would happen to the two of them after this shared moment. Would they go on acting like normal, or were they ever normal? Would he want to kill her, or would Sakura want to kill him? Thought after thought, he felt himself drowning, his mind going under.

"Sasuke?"

Sakura pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth, and when Sasuke came back to reality, he felt her fingers grazing the elastic of his underwear.

"Are you okay?"

She was gentle and kind-hearted, putting his insecurities before her own, and while she bit her bottom lip, Sasuke could see the worry in her eyes. He didn't answer, only bury his head into the crook of her neck and inhale the refreshing smell of her rose quartz hair.

His fingers began to move once more, only one entering her and giving her a reason to grasp onto him.

She was completely wet, her walls contracting against his finger and squeezing as he moved at a slow pace, listening or watching for any hurting reaction. Sakura moved slightly with his movements, offering soft sounds of enjoyment all while Sasuke kept his head buried into her neck.

He kissed her skin lightly, mainly focusing on how tight she felt against his finger, and when he felt like her body was finally adjusted to a single finger, he slowly slid in another to join. He moved his middle and ring finger accordingly, curling ever so slightly and watching as Sakura's back arched, her hips moving to his.

Now her sounds had grown in volume, her hand pulling at the roots of his obsidian hair. She was no longer trembling, only pulling her body as close to his as possible as he moved his fingers inside of her.

His own breathing was increasing, his lips wet against her skin as he increased the speed of his fingers, entering her and feeling her wet walls tighten around him. He wanted so badly to just enter her with his length now, and by the feeling and sound of it, Sakura seemed ready too.

Sasuke removed his face from the crook of her neck and removed his fingers from inside of her, only to hover over her with obsidian eyes gazing deeply into emerald green eyes.

Her lips parted slightly, her breath coming in short spouts as she traced a finger along his abdomen. It sent small shivers down his spine, the way her nail traced into his skin and before he could hold back any longer, he was removing his underwear, lowering his body back to her and whispering against the shell of her ear once more.

"Tell me to stop if it hurts too much."

 **. . .**

It hurt, the way the head of his cock pressed between the lips of her vagina.

It was much more than his fingers, the girth entering and filling her up completely and as Sakura's hands held onto Sasuke's broad arms, she couldn't help but bite her lip. The pain was much more endurable than she thought, and before she could scream, Sasuke's lips kissed her forehead.

"Tell me to stop if it hurts too much," he reminded, his voice husky and low.

Sakura swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that tried to escape as Sasuke pushed slowly into her. He had always been so reserved when it came to her, and now that they were lying out beneath the stars, committing something that would make them or break them, she felt her resolve slowly breaking.

Sasuke was nearly all the way inside of her, his body resting lightly between his legs, his hand still guiding himself inside of her, and when he finally felt himself stop, Sakura gasped. He was all the way in, filling her up and stretching her open.

It fucking hurt, but it felt so fucking good, and while Sakura's mind raced with a million other thoughts, she couldn't help but know that this was actually happening.

His dark hair fell to her neck, ticking the skin there as he slowly began to pull out. Sasuke was slow, his movements gentle and graceful as always as he pulled himself away from her. He came to rest one hand against her hip, balancing his weight and anchoring himself down. She could feel a slight tremble coming from his limb as he began to move his hips against hers, entering her once more.

Not only could Sakura feel the dry blades of grass against her back, but now she could feel pleasure transpiring from within. The way his skin moved against her own, his dick stretching her out and making it easier to move. The pain still resided, but it began to fade, and along with it, her worries.

"Faster," Sakura whispered to Sasuke.

His head was bowed, hovering over Sakura's right shoulder and when she spoke, his eyes averted to her own. He picked up his speed slightly, careful to not move too fast, yet he let out small grunts of pleasure.

He was quiet for the most part, yet his lips eventually connected to her own. He was coming to fill her all the way up, deep inside, yet pulling out before he got too deep. Sakura's legs began to shake, her body welling up with an immense heat and the faster Sasuke moved, the hotter she became.

Her throat felt tight as she began to arch her back, small whimpers pushing passed her lips.

Her nails began to dig into the skin of his back and when she felt the pain finally vanish, pleasure overtook the feeling and Sakura couldn't help but match his rhythm. Their movements became one, her hips coming to meet his and as Sakura finally felt him entering her deeper with each thrust, she grasped his shoulders and held him tight against her body.

Sasuke's own hands came to wrap around her back, large palms grasping her ass and making it easier to enter her and move together.

"Sasuke!"

She finally felt his name fall from her lips and fill the quiet area around them. The stars twinkled from overhead, and with Sasuke coming to his peak, Sakura felt her own body coming to its climax. Sasuke rounded his hips, circling them, feeling around inside of her and while his cock rubbed the inside of her walls, Sakura finally lost it.

She came, her nails digging deeply into his skin before she ran her nails down his back. He leaned into her scratching, a low growl escaping his throat as he thrust his hips into hers with force, finally releasing his seed. His back burned, the red trails that led to Sakura's nails etched into his back. He inhaled deeply, exhaling just as fast until his head burrowed back into Sakura's neck.

She felt his body grow heavy as he laid atop her, his fingers playing with ends of her hair as he panted into her neck. Her mind still felt blank, her heart rushing as she inhaled Sasuke's scent.

He still smelled of heavy smoke and a roaring fire, but the way his body felt so relaxed and at ease soothed her heart. She felt her eyelids grow heavy, sleep trying to transcend upon her as she laid underneath Sasuke's body. His head remained in her neck, his lips coming to meet her skin, only to spark the fire.

She didn't speak, only remained quiet with her eyes closed as she began to recall what exactly happened. Sakura thought Sasuke had died, only to find out that he was definitely alive. And then they began to argue, until their lips met one another and it all spiraled out of control.

"What're you thinking about, Sakura?" Sasuke's low voice brushed against her ear.

It startled her, causing her eyes to open and to be met with the stars overhead. Along with them, the moon offered a low, pale light. She began to think of what to say, but the only word that came out was, "you."

She could feel his body tense up, his head pull away slightly from her neck and his lips no longer on the skin there. It felt like he had become cold, starting to distance himself from her and while they were still against one another, she felt a slight tear in her heart.

"I didn't mean it like that-"

Sasuke's hand covered her mouth as his head whipped up from the ground. The slight crunching of dry grass from beneath his knees sounded, and while Sakura's eyes widened at Sasuke's sudden movements, she sensed exactly what he heard.

"Fuck," fell from his lips as his hand remained over her mouth.

Panic began to course through her veins, her body becoming stiff and cold as she listened to quiet footfalls sounding through the grass. They were coming quickly, their signatures gaining on them, and while Sakura lie there naked in the grass, still beneath Sasuke's body, that wasn't what she was concerned about.

They'd kill him. They'd take her; take her back to the Leaf and question her, and gain as much intel as they could.

But Sasuke would be dead, and she couldn't stand the thought of that.


	13. Abandoned

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

SHORT CHAPTER. Sorry, guys. I'm finding it harder to update every week like I was able to! But I'm going to try and get this story finished, and I'd really like to thank you all for supporting and following this story - I REALLY appreciate it. Thank you so much! And another huge thank you to those that have actively been reviewing and telling me their thoughts. It motivates me to continue with writing. It may not seem like it, but it's _such_ a huge confidence boost.

Also, I'm not sure if it happened to anyone else, but when I posted the previous chapter for this story, the system glitched out on me. It said it hadn't posted the chapter, but it definitely did. So if anyone experienced an issue with that, send me a PM please? ^-^' anyways, I hope you enjoy. It's more so a transition chapter!

* * *

 ** _Glass Heart_**  
 _Abandoned_

* * *

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure how to feel about their current situation. His body, exhausted yet alarms going off on all nerve endings, remained atop Sakura's, his hand still firmly pressed against her lips.

From underneath, he could feel her lips quivering and her breathing quicken in pace. He'd refuse to look into her eyes, seeing the fear that had taken over that lovely, ecstasy filled look that had been there only seconds ago.

From their spot in the grass, he could feel his heart hammering against his chest while their enemies - his, rather - started to approach, hot on their trail. Sasuke can already sense that Sakura compressed her presence, making her unknown, but an Anbu level shinobi knows better than to fall for silly tricks.

His throat felt dry, mind running rampant with thoughts and ideas of how to escape without fighting. He still felt exhausted, though, his mind beginning to pound with an oncoming headache. As he began to remove his hand from Sakura's mouth, he could hear her take a deep, shaky breath from beneath him.

Sasuke grasped her wrist and pulled her up with him, her hands flying to cover her exposed body, but he couldn't help run his eyes down each and every curve that she possessed. Even the way her hair flowed freely, grass and twigs included, she looked beautiful even in her distressed state of mind. He had to pull his own mind from overthinking, thinking of taking her right here again, and when he pulled his trousers up his legs and reapplied his tank top to his body, he felt a darkening mood begin to overtake his mind.

The Leaf were here; closer than they had been earlier, and with Sakura's short pants of breath and her shaking limbs, he could tell just how frightened she'd become. If it came down to it, the kunoichi would fight; gracefully and without a second thought, she'd fight by his side and they'd escape, but he wouldn't put her through the trauma of executing someone from her own village.

The dark sky stretched miles upon miles, twinkling stars surrounding the pale orb that illuminated the midnight horizon; a shrill inhale sounding from his left, and before Sasuke could control his emotions, Sharingan eyes melted with an eerie glow, revealing the Uchiha's bloodline.

It was Sakura; blood trickling from the canyon between her shoulder blades, and as her rose quartz hair soaked up the oozing liquid, he could hardly contain himself any longer. His hand possessed a crackling blue-white light, his skin etched in ink markings that descended upon his body.

There was only time to do, no longer think, and as Sakura's body tensed with pain, Sasuke's hand was already driving towards his prey. His mind was running wild, thoughts of darkness and time spent alone in a damp and dark room fueling his body. He wasn't what Sakura wanted; he was a beast, created by a sick shinobi who found joy in experimenting on innocent people - but Sasuke was no longer stable as his skin colored over in a sickening gray, and his hair began to spout from the roots, fading to an ominous gray. His nails broke free from their nail beds, sharpening like a fresh blade, and while his body was undergoing a familiar transformation, he no longer cared that Sakura would witness the deaths of the Leaf shinobi.

 _They hurt her_ , he was reminded, by a low and hoarse voice from within.

The familiar sound caused his skin to crawl as his eyes focused on the shinobi in front of him. He was too fast, faster than them, and as his hand plunged through the throat of his victim, Sasuke could already feel his skin soaked in the warm liquids.

It was refreshing, almost comforting as he dropped the man to his knees, his hands flying to his throat as he tried to stop the blood from exiting his body.

"You're too late, death is upon you," he retorted with a low sneer.

 _And darkness is upon you._

 **. . .**

Sakura faltered, her body soaking up the cool blade that was stuck between her shoulder blades, nearly striking her spine. She swallowed hard, her throat coated in thick saliva as she began to grow hot from anxiety.

The location of the blade was awkward, her hand reaching back over her shoulder, the other hand supporting her elbow. Her fingers were already touching sensitive skin, trickling blood and damp hair.

"Damn bastards," she muttered from underneath her breath, her fingers finally finding the kunai.

It was deep, penetrating her muscles, and nearly taking her out for good. She needed to remove it, heal the laceration up and fight alongside Sasuke. She needed to, wanted to, anything to prove that she didn't need to be protected; not anymore.

Emerald eyes squeezed tight, her nose crinkling in anticipation as she grasped the kunai by the hilt and began to pull. It hurt and stung like hell, feeling the razor sharp blade cut through the small amounts of dried blood, slice through skin that it hadn't touched, and disassemble more muscle tissue.

The healing process was quick as Sakura's temper began to flare. She could hear the crackling lightning coming from behind her, and before she turned to see what Sasuke was doing, the gurgled yell caused her eyes to widen.

The Uchiha had penetrated through the Anbu member, ripping through every tendon, nerve, muscle and bone, nearly taking the head of the Leaf shinobi clean off. While Sakura stood completely still, she'd felt the unfamiliar course of goose bumps cross over her body. She'd seen blood countless times, witnessed horrible cuts and messed up bodies, but this was something she'd never thought she'd witness.

Sasuke stood above the man, completely changed and smiling with a mischievous smile.

"- death is upon you," the low growl came from his discolored lips, and as the blue-white light faded from his hand, Sakura's green eyes focused on the maroon liquid that coated his hand.

"Sasuke?" She asked quietly, her hands balling into fists as her breathing became ragged.

There was no way she could save that man, he was already dead or close to. As Sakura took one step towards him, she could see the eyes of Sasuke fall upon her. He looked like a wild animal, caged for too long and starved of food. The wings that had emerged from his back was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and as she willed her body to take another step, Sasuke's smirk was a complete smile, yet his eyes remained wide and alert.

"It's okay," she warned before taking another step towards him. Sakura could feel her heart pounding wildly against her rib cage as the grass crunched beneath her feet. "I just need to check on him."

It was when she spoke that final sentence that she felt his body approach hers with and immense speed. He was between her and the Anbu, his smile still remained on his lips as he shook his head. "No, leave him. There's more."

While it sounded like Sasuke's deep, monotone voice, Sakura wouldn't be fooled by the actual person behind it. She couldn't see the familiar shimmer in his ruby eyes, nor the careful touch as he grabbed both of her wrists. His skin was cool to the touch, and before she could speak another word, his hand was pushing an incredible force to her chest and her body was flying backwards.

If he hadn't shoved her out of the way, Sakura would've been impaled by yet another weapon. She simply caught her balance, rounded and pulled her own shuriken from her pouch and searched for the enemy in the dull light. Her adrenaline was pumping faster than her heart was beating, her emerald eyes jumping from one spot to another, as her senses honed in on any chakra signature other than Sasuke's.

He was no longer concealing his presence, instead making it clear that he was out for blood and would mow down anyone that stood in his way. While Sakura watched from her spot, she couldn't help but feel her heart ache as Sasuke's fire began to light up in the distance. She could even feel the heat from her location, well aware that that was how the first fire started and as she blinked, the tears began to prick the corners of her eyes.

How foolish had she actually been for agreeing to join him on his own personal mission?

Her fists clenched once more as he ears tuned in to another shriek nearby. Heat began to flare up within her core, her mind heating up with anger as well as the shuriken in her hand began to cut into her skin as she squeezed her fists. She couldn't stand by while Sasuke slaughtered those from her village. While she was considered a traitor of her village, she wouldn't stand by any more; not if she could help it.

He was easy to find, Sakura came to find out. She simply followed the trail of bodies, and while the numbers of their enemies were dropping like flies, she'd find him soon enough; she could still sense him and he was extremely close by.

"Sasuke!" She screamed from the confines of darkness. Her anger had bubbled over, her mind completely numb as she screamed into the night air, the stars diminishing as light began to expand from the horizon.

After her shrill scream, it felt like her surroundings had gone completely quiet. Sakura didn't mind it, she remained angry as her defenses remained raised.

"What."

His statement was dark, laced with an annoyed tone and as Sakura rounded on him, she was surprised with how close he was to her. She hadn't felt him, nor the wind from how fast he'd appeared behind her. Her rose locks fell to her shoulders as her viridian eyes narrowed.

"What's _wrong_ with you?" She hissed, her nose nearly touching his as she rose to her tip toes and stared into his deadly eyes. She could see the stains of blood coloring his skin, the way the star shaped design that covered his nose crinkled as he narrowed his own eyes back at her.

"I'm protecting you. What the hell do you think is going on, Sakura?"

His tone was like ice, cold to the core and sharper than shattered glass. Sakura remained strong, her eyes hard and fists ready as she looked from his right eye, back to the left.

"I don't need you to protect me."

Realization crossed through his eyes as his glare deepened. She noticed the way his hair began to melt back to obsidian black, even in the dim light. Anger flared up from behind rose eyes, and before he could say another word, Sakura's lips overflowed with emotion.

It was like an emotional roller coaster, the constant arguing, then their lips against one another. She couldn't take it anymore, not when she was the one that hurt the most from Sasuke's actions.

"Have Karin protect you when you find Itachi," she retorted one last time before turning her back to him. "I'm _done_ with this."

 **. . .**

Sasuke's blood pressure began to plummet, yet his anger remained as he watched Sakura's back turn to him. "What the fuck are you doing?" He spat out.

Sakura didn't answer, only continue her walk towards the blaring fire in the distance and from in front of her, he could see the sky lighting up with the morning sun. Sasuke's skin began to burn as the discolored gray began to fade and his nails returned back to normal.

He felt absolutely exhausted now; his body trembling yet his mind remained focused on the woman walking away from him. Was Sakura actually doing this? Leaving him here, while she walked away completely emotionless?

"Where are you going?" He asked once more, yet his voice was an octave lower. He had lost the fight from within, his body now aching and the headache from earlier pulsating through his head.

Was Sakura really that anger with him for protecting her? Fighting and making sure nothing else would happen? Sasuke shook his head before exhaling heavily. He didn't have time for this. She'd eventually be captured, and he'd no longer have to worry about her getting in the way. "Whatever."

He began to walk in the opposite direction of Sakura, searching for the mountains that his squad had been nearing earlier in their travels. Once his mind began to calm down from his heated argument, his hands found the tank top that remained around his waste, and as he pulled it back over his shoulders and torso, he finally noticed the blood that coated his skin.

He thought nothing of it; it was just another day for him. As slow as he walked, he soon noticed that the smell of smoke no longer filled the air, nor was he out in the open field that he had been earlier. The sky was awake, the air filled with singing birds and a blistering sun. There were hundreds of thousands of trees surrounding him now, too.

It felt awkward, being here and returning back to the group without Sakura. But she had chosen to leave him. Sasuke soon found his knees pressing into damp soil as his hands pressed into the small puddle before him. It was clear and he could see the shallow hole from beneath the water's surface; his reflection looked anything but happy. As he splashed the cool water over his face, he began to scrub at the dirt, sweat, soot and blood that stained his perfect, creamy skin.

Sasuke began to feel sick to his stomach the more he scrubbed at his hands, watching the blood deteriorate from underneath his calloused hands and run from his skin to the dirt below. He was an absolute mess and as he pushed up from his spot, he began walking towards the mountains once more.

How stupid had he been for thinking Sakura could help him on his mission? Never again would he let his emotions overtake his thoughts, nor would he let his heart come first in any decision, ever again.

With a limp, he pushed on.

Pushed away from his emotions, pushed away from his anchors and ties, and pushed away from Sakura.


	14. Falling

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Long time, no see! Sorry for ditching this story in the dust, but hihellohi, I'm back to finish it! This is strictly a Sasuke chapter, sorry to those who were looking forward to getting inside of Sakura's mind! I appreciate all of you for taking the time to read and review/favorite/follow this story because this honestly started when I was going through a rough patch in life._

 _I've also started a couple others stories (i know, i know, i know), but that's because I lack the ability to hold back and it's just full steam ahead. So if you're interested in those, I've got them up on my account. I've also been taking **some** requests on my tumblr, so if you wanna go check it out, find me on tumblr at **roraewrites**._

 _Let me know what you think, please. Love you all!_

* * *

 _ **Glass Heart**_  
 _Falling_

* * *

With the ground beneath his feet and his eyes scanning for familiar faces, Sasuke was finally making his way towards the mountains. Even though he wasn't exactly sure where he was at, the crisp air was nostalgic, bringing his mind back to his genin days when he was still running around with Sakura and Naruto.

There was just something about the Land of Fire that would always annoy him to no extent.

"Oi!" The familiar voice echoed through the woods, and by the time Sasuke's eyes glanced to the left, he was met with a pair of familiar lavender eyes.

As he was perched on the tree, Suigetsu began to make his way towards the Uchiha, followed by Karin and Juugo.

"Well don't you look rough," Suigetsu sneered with a wide grin.

Sasuke felt a low growl rumble in his throat as he eyed the white haired man. The way his sharp teeth showed from behind thin lips, and the fiery look in his eyes made something within Sasuke's mind snap. He could rip this man in two, right here, right now, but instead of replying to his snarky remark, he dropped his gaze.

As crumby as he felt on the outside, he also felt absolutely miserable on the inside. His chest hurt, almost like it was weighed down by an intense anchor, yet he refused to admit _why_ he felt this way. Even his mind wasn't right, everything felt fuzzy; his throat was tight, his eyes heavy but he'd only claim that he was tired.

"Where's Sakura?" It was Karin's turn to antagonize him, but when Sasuke's eyes found her own, he didn't feel angry anymore. He felt sick to his stomach, like he could curl up and vomit at any time.

It took the Uchiha awhile to register her words, along with registering exactly _what_ had happened only hours ago. He could remember the anger that filled her eyes, and the shaky voice she spoke with. It hadn't made sense then, but now that he recalls, Sakura was absolutely hurt. He'd never seen her so broken down, incredibly vulnerable like everything she had ever had in her life was now gone.

"Sasuke?"

"Don't worry about it," he snapped.

Karin's amber eyes narrowed, but he could still see the lust that filled her eyes whenever she looked at him. Throughout their journey, all of them had encountered tough trials, and even standing there in the dense forest, located somewhere in the Land of Fire, Sasuke's body was just exhausted.

"You're not telling us something," Suigetsu began to pick, his eyes glazing over with a livid anger.

"I don't need to tell you _everything_."

"Then just tell us one thing!" Karin's shriek was loud and thunderous; her eyes now held fire. "Did she die?"

Sasuke's hesitation was a mistake, as he could see just how wide Karin's eyes had grown, but before she could continue her fit of shrieks and accusative screams, Sasuke shot her his own dirty look. "Sakura is fine, but she's no longer coming with us. If anyone else would like to question me, please, go for it."

His voice was dry as he began to make his way forward and through the trees again. Behind him, he could feel the uncomfortable tension begin to loom, but like puppies, they followed closely behind him.

Sasuke couldn't shake the hurt look from within Sakura's vivid green eyes, the way she spoke with a voice filled with hurt and insecurities, but yet he let her walk away. Even throughout the day, he continued to think of the kunoichi, remembering the feeling of her skin against his, and the way her lips felt when they kissed not just once, but multiple times. Goosebumps began to ascend throughout his body and although the blistering sun remained high in the sky, Sasuke's body had grown cold.

He wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone, nor face the emotions that remained in his heart. He cut all those ties before when he left the Leaf years ago, but when he saw Sakura, he couldn't just leave her to die in the hideout. Sasuke knew he was a selfish man; he took Sakura, made her stay by his side and wanted her to help him during his fight with Itachi, yet the longer she remained by his side, the softer he grew. He didn't want to have to force her to stay there, nor say mean things when he didn't exactly mean them; she was just a frustrating woman and as much as she annoyed him, he felt an empty hole begin to form in his chest with her presence no longer around.

How was is so easy to turn his feelings off all those years ago, but now he could hardly make it a minute without thoughts of Sakura flooding his mind? Sasuke soon felt frustrated with himself for the actions he made. He'd taken Sakura when she was vulnerable, took her for what she's worth and now _he_ was the one left to feel broken inside while the world around him continued on. Even the whispers from Karin and Suigetsu didn't go unnoticed, yet he was too tired to care; too tired to say _anything._

"I think something more serious happened," he could hear Suigetsu chime in.

"No shit, you idiot."

"I'm just saying, he's not himself..."

"Suigetsu, I will make it my own personal mission to kill you. Of course he's not-" the words eventually faded out as Sasuke inhaled deeply and continued on.

Obsidian eyes watched as they emerged from the trees, slowly making their way towards the mountains that had been formed hundreds of years ago. The shadows created were formed in all kinds of different shapes, and as they began to head towards the canyon created by them, Karin stopped suddenly.

"There's a lot of people through here. Almost like a town is located here."

"That's because there is," Sasuke answered quietly.

The rock formations had always been a great setup for enemies to hide, but the town located deeper within the confines of canyon was nothing more than a place stripped of their rights and forced to poverty. Although small, many runaways made their way towards this specific spot as they hid from greater villages.

As Sasuke made his way forward, it was like everything had gone quiet around them and evacuated the area. No one greeted them as they made their way through the old, rustic gates. Nor when the four of them followed in tow behind Sasuke, his eyes felt tired as he looked from one old, run down building to another.

Through the town they went, until stopping at what was a run down inn, and after Sasuke arranged for the four of them to get one, large room, he made his way down the hall in silence. The door creaked from beneath his palm and after wandering in, he immediately found one of the beds and flopped.

He didn't want to deal with anymore people, he didn't want to listen to Karin and Suigetsu's paining whispers. Sasuke craved sleep, he craved the need to be alone.

He yearned to see Sakura's green eyes and feel her intoxicating presence once more.

 **xxx**

 _Waves of water washed up the shore, touching the tips of his toes as he sat at the lake. Rain had been pouring from the clouds above his head, soaking his raven locks - his hair stuck to his face when he glanced up towards the sky._

 _Everything was gray, there was no color in this world of Sasuke's. Finally, he let his body collapse to the sad and rocks, his fingers taking handfuls of whatever he could grab before he started throwing the earth into the water, watching it drown underneath the rough waves._

 _"Why!" He finally yelled, eyes growing wide at the waves that had yet to come. Everything was spiraling out of control, and before he could grasp another handful of rocks and sand, the waves came up and over him, soaking every part of his body before washing away and leaving him to curse on the land._

 _"Fuck this," he muttered out before falling to his back and looking up to the sky. Everything was gray, not even a shade of white could be seen, because his world was shattered and he was nothing more than broken glass; dangerous for himself and to those around him._

 _"Sasuke." A voice spoke, something that sounded all too familiar and uplifting, rinsing the anger straight from his body. He couldn't help but turn his head the moment he shot back up, and when he searched for the owner, he couldn't find her._

 _"Sakura," he called out in short breaths. He was now to his bare feet, his toes dipping into the sand and rocks as he began to walk away from the shore's edge. He dripped with water, his dark, dark eyes searching for that voice, trying to find any clue as to where she was._

 _The farther he walked, the darker it got. He was beginning to panic, his mind began to cave in on itself, his body becoming far too cold while his heart hammered against his ribcage. He was no longer walking, but running to get away from the cold tension that ran down his body. He refused to be taken by it, refused to quit fighting._

 _"Sakura." He huffed out once more, a cloud of white coming out as he breathed her name out, but this time, he couldn't hear himself. Everything around him had fallen to pitch black, he couldn't even see his own hands when he lifted them up._

 _Sasuke was freezing, his body started to shake while his fingers trembled and eyes ached from tears that had yet to fall. He was so cold, so alone, so afraid, tired, his fears running wild in his mind as he curled up and fought to hear her voice again._

"Sasuke!"

His eyes snapped open, finding a pair of ruby eyes staring back into his own dark orbs, her face entirely too close for comfort before he choked on his spit and began to cough. Sasuke's dark locks were drenched with sweat, his eyes burned from tears that pricked beneath the surface, and as he pushed away from Karin, it was clear that Juugo and Suigetsu were sitting just behind her.

All three of them had wide eyes and pale faces. Sasuke hated the looks on each of their face, but instead of questioning them, he coughed until his throat was clear and his mind wasn't as fogged. The last he remembered of his dream was falling into complete isolation, in a dark cavern where he was revealed and exposed. His body shivered at the thought, his hands still shaking as he brought them up to view them.

"You okay, man?" Suigetsu was the first to speak after they had woke Sasuke up. "You don't look too good."

The atmosphere was tense, something Sasuke came to realize as he ran his calloused fingers through his hair. He still felt the pain in his throat from coughing, but instead of verifying his state of well being, he stalked off towards the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

When he glanced at the mirror before him, his eyes focused on the broken glass of the mirror. What reflected in what visible glass was left was him; broken and chipping away just like the mirror.

"Petty," he commented before turning the handle on the sink.

He splashed cool water up and over his head, relishing in the calm that washed over his body at last. The only thing that didn't feel okay was his heart. The Uchiha felt nauseous to his very core, his body still ached and his mind still felt foggy.

Sasuke swallowed hard before reaching for a supplied towel and running it over his face. Black soot smudged along the off-white fabric, and instead of continuously washing his face, he glanced back towards the mirror one last time before scowling at his reflection.

"You're nothing but a coward," he told himself, letting the insult of his own words engrave themselves in his mind as he continued to glare. "Nothing more, nothing less you fucking coward."

Thoughts of letting Sakura slip away from him in the early hours of the morning still trailed through his mind, her viridian eyes losing the last bit of hope that she had for him while he stood in his lost state of mind, watching her go as she walked away.

Before Sasuke could control his actions, his fist collided with the wall just behind the remaining pieces of the mirror. The leftover glass came shattering down all around him; pieces sliced through his knuckles, lodging into his skin as he smirked his approval and threw the now blood stained towel to the floor.

His hand threw the door open, his eyes scanning over the white faces of Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu before he grabbed his Kusanagi and vanished through the window.

He no longer felt numb; he felt pain because _everything_ fucking hurt.

 **xxx**

His fingers picked at the glass chunks in his arm and knuckles, trying his hardest to remove the dirty mirror shards as best as he could. The blood never stopped trickling from his skin, but it was a reminder of the pain he felt on the inside.

Night had already settled in the sky above him, and instead of returning to the inn that night, he sat perched in the grass that settled somewhere along the cavernous mountains. His fire that he had made flickered light around his dark surroundings, and instead of keeping his mind focused on what was going on around him, he continued to pick at the pieces in his skin.

The last time that he had smelled smoke from a fire and sat in grass that crunched under his weight was when he was with Sakura; stroking fingers through her hair and caressing her soft skin under the light of the moon. Everything was perfect, everything was clear and he could breathe and focus, but that damned demon inside him ripped her from his grasp and let her walk away.

 _Take responsibility for your own actions,_ the inner voice taunted him, but Sasuke brushed it off. Thoughts of pinks and greens, lively smiles and boundless skips kept annoying him while he let his heart drown in unforgiving thoughts.

No matter what, he always pushed away important people and let things get out of his grasp. He had a goal to kill Itachi, something he came close to when he was younger, but again, it slipped from his grasp because he wasn't strong enough and he didn't hate him enough.

The searing pain of scalding tears pricked at the backs of his eyes once more, and before he knew it, hot tears fell to his damaged and bleeding skin. He sniffed roughly, fighting back the hurtful thoughts and irritating memories. Everything he had ever done in his life was for Itachi; whether it be to gain his acknowledgement or kill the man, it was a never ending cycle.

"I fucking hate you," he gritted through clenched teeth, while his fingers removed another shard. "I'll never forgive you."


End file.
